Labor Relations Specialists

What Labor Relations Specialists Do

Resolve disputes between workers and managers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

0.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 4.0/5
• English Languageimportance 3.7/5
• Law and Governmentimportance 3.6/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.1/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.9/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.7/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.7/5
• Mathematicsimportance 2.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Telephone Conversations4.7/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions4.2/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.2/5

Related Careers

• Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
• Compliance Officers
• Human Resources Managers
• Human Resources Specialists
• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
• Compensation and Benefits Managers
• Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
• Public Relations Managers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes98% skill match
• Lawyers98% skill match
• Correspondence Clerks97% skill match
• Human Resources Specialists97% skill match
• Fundraisers97% skill match
• Credit Counselors97% skill match
• Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products96% skill match
• Bill and Account Collectors96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Negotiationimportance 4.1/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.9/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.8/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.6/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.4/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.4/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.4/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Integrity
• Self-Control
• Dependability
• Social Orientation
• Stress Tolerance
• Attention to Detail
• Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• SocialMedium
• InvestigativeMedium
• ArtisticLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where labor relations specialists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Springfield, IL5.64× national avg
2. 2Lima, OH3.89× national avg
3. 3Trenton-Princeton, NJ3.81× national avg
4. 4Evansville, IN3.81× national avg
5. 5Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY3.68× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Human Resources SpecialistsLateral Move
• Arbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsCareer Change
• LawyersCareer Change
• Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and AthletesLateral Move

See the full career path from Labor Relations Specialists →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.