Business and finance
Labor relations specialist
Resolve disputes between workers and managers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints.
Median pay
$95,420
Growth to 2035
+2%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
4,800
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Labor relations specialist
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- Less than 5 years
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Labor relations specialist: 52% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
- Investigate and evaluate union complaints or arguments to determine viability.
- Propose resolutions for collective bargaining or other labor or contract negotiations.
- Draft contract proposals or counter-proposals for collective bargaining or other labor negotiations.
- Interpret contractual agreements for employers and employees engaged in collective bargaining or other labor relations processes.
- Prepare evidence for disciplinary hearings, including preparing witnesses to testify.
- Mediate discussions between employer and employee representatives in attempt to reconcile differences.
- Review employer practices or employee data to ensure compliance with contracts on matters such as wages, hours, or conditions of employment.
Also called: Business Agent · Business Representative · Grievance Manager · Labor Relations Specialist · Labor Specialist
Outlook and AI
Labor relations specialists held 66,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 67,700 by 2035 (+2%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Labor relations specialist vs. Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators
- Labor relations specialist vs. Compliance officer
- Labor relations specialist vs. Human resources manager
- Labor relations specialist vs. Human resources specialist
- Labor relations specialist vs. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Labor relations specialist vs. Compensation and benefits managers
- Labor relations specialist vs. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
- Labor relations specialist vs. Public relations manager
- Labor relations specialist vs. Lawyer
- Labor relations specialist vs. Managers, all other