192 metro areas
Labor Relations Specialist Salary by City (2026)
Labor relations specialists earn the most in Vallejo, CA, an average of $165,320 a year, against $98,720 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Vallejo, CA ($152,400 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $98,720BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $165,320Vallejo, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $152,400Vallejo, CA
- Metro areas
- 192With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for labor relations specialists
Top 10 metro areas
- Vallejo, CA$165,320
- Bellingham, WA$136,820
- San Jose, CA$132,160
- Santa Cruz, CA$126,590
- San Francisco, CA$125,990
- Fresno, CA$120,240
- Kahului, HI$120,080
- Seattle, WA$118,910
- New York, NY-NJ$117,330
- Kennewick, WA$114,000
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $165,320 |
| Bellingham, WA | $136,820 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $132,160 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $126,590 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $125,990 |
| Fresno, CA | $120,240 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $120,080 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $118,910 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $117,330 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $114,000 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Vallejo, CA$165,320 nominal$152,400
- Bellingham, WA$136,820 nominal$132,410
- Waterloo, IA$106,230 nominal$122,020
- Rochester, MN$109,820 nominal$120,920
- San Jose, CA$132,160 nominal$119,690
- Dubuque, IA$103,040 nominal$117,990
- Fresno, CA$120,240 nominal$117,700
- Duluth, MN-WI$103,940 nominal$117,090
- Rockford, IL$106,520 nominal$115,590
- Santa Cruz, CA$126,590 nominal$115,190
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $152,400 |
| Bellingham, WA | $132,410 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $122,020 |
| Rochester, MN | $120,920 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $119,690 |
| Dubuque, IA | $117,990 |
| Fresno, CA | $117,700 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $117,090 |
| Rockford, IL | $115,590 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $115,190 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Labor Relations Specialist salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo, CA | $165,320 | $81,950 | $206,380 | $152,400 |
| 2 | Bellingham, WA | $136,820 | $77,080 | $166,230 | $132,410 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $132,160 | $75,570 | $160,040 | $119,690 |
| 4 | Santa Cruz, CA | $126,590 | $83,890 | $147,600 | $115,190 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $125,990 | $70,010 | $153,570 | $108,980 |
| 6 | Fresno, CA | $120,240 | $70,680 | $144,660 | $117,700 |
| 7 | Kahului, HI | $120,080 | $74,280 | $142,650 | $109,770 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $118,910 | $69,990 | $143,000 | $107,000 |
| 9 | New York, NY-NJ | $117,330 | $74,670 | $138,340 | $104,230 |
| 10 | Kennewick, WA | $114,000 | $87,730 | $126,960 | $113,910 |
| 11 | Boston, MA-NH | $113,800 | $69,800 | $135,450 | $105,110 |
| 12 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $113,440 | $73,740 | $133,020 | $104,180 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $112,690 | $86,820 | $125,440 | $107,510 |
| 14 | Olympia, WA | $112,300 | $74,340 | $131,000 | $108,320 |
| 15 | Worcester, MA | $111,130 | $66,440 | $133,140 | $108,400 |
| 16 | Santa Maria, CA | $110,990 | $77,360 | $127,550 | $102,010 |
| 17 | Trenton, NJ | $110,570 | $76,810 | $127,210 | $107,160 |
| 18 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $110,240 | $66,870 | $131,600 | $110,280 |
| 19 | Rochester, MN | $109,820 | $81,990 | $123,530 | $120,920 |
| 20 | Bakersfield, CA | $109,010 | $66,910 | $129,730 | $108,050 |
| 21 | Albany, NY | $108,620 | $61,190 | $131,980 | $109,090 |
| 22 | Santa Rosa, CA | $108,370 | $74,860 | $124,860 | $100,540 |
| 23 | San Diego, CA | $106,790 | $66,190 | $126,780 | $95,440 |
| 24 | Atlantic City, NJ | $106,770 | $69,780 | $124,970 | $108,000 |
| 25 | Rockford, IL | $106,520 | $73,170 | $122,950 | $115,590 |
| 26 | Waterloo, IA | $106,230 | $66,190 | $125,920 | $122,020 |
| 27 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $106,100 | $67,790 | $124,970 | $103,460 |
| 28 | State College, PA | $105,810 | $66,020 | $125,420 | $109,350 |
| 29 | Los Angeles, CA | $105,580 | $58,640 | $128,690 | $92,970 |
| 30 | Sacramento, CA | $105,140 | $57,390 | $128,670 | $98,570 |
| 31 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $105,060 | $65,060 | $124,780 | $94,680 |
| 32 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $104,640 | $76,840 | $118,350 | $110,050 |
| 33 | Salinas, CA | $104,230 | $80,560 | $115,880 | $95,590 |
| 34 | Duluth, MN-WI | $103,940 | $77,520 | $116,960 | $117,090 |
| 35 | Riverside, CA | $103,170 | $63,710 | $122,620 | $96,930 |
| 36 | Milwaukee, WI | $103,080 | $61,960 | $123,320 | $106,340 |
| 37 | Dubuque, IA | $103,040 | $54,450 | $126,960 | $117,990 |
| 38 | Bridgeport, CT | $102,940 | $55,890 | $126,110 | $96,330 |
| 39 | Peoria, IL | $102,690 | $68,930 | $119,330 | $112,560 |
| 40 | Des Moines, IA | $102,150 | $65,850 | $120,040 | $111,390 |
| 41 | Champaign, IL | $101,730 | $64,770 | $119,950 | $109,740 |
| 42 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $101,690 | $73,820 | $115,440 | $104,460 |
| 43 | Scranton, PA | $101,550 | $60,820 | $121,600 | $108,540 |
| 44 | Decatur, IL | $101,360 | $69,560 | $117,020 | $114,630 |
| 45 | Tampa, FL | $100,940 | $63,380 | $119,430 | $100,050 |
| 46 | Visalia, CA | $100,010 | $80,080 | $109,820 | $100,190 |
| 47 | Chicago, IL-IN | $99,990 | $61,550 | $118,930 | $96,520 |
| 48 | York, PA | $99,860 | $60,570 | $119,200 | $104,020 |
| 49 | Portland, OR-WA | $99,530 | $55,910 | $121,010 | $94,410 |
| 50 | Springfield, MA | $99,360 | $58,030 | $119,700 | $103,430 |
| 51 | Springfield, IL | $99,050 | $65,230 | $115,710 | $106,800 |
| 52 | Erie, PA | $98,760 | $70,180 | $112,820 | $108,590 |
| 53 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $98,200 | $67,750 | $113,190 | $110,380 |
| 54 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $98,200 | $65,400 | $114,360 | $113,590 |
| 55 | Phoenix, AZ | $98,090 | $70,220 | $111,820 | $94,940 |
| 56 | Buffalo, NY | $97,860 | $53,830 | $119,560 | $102,100 |
| 57 | Portland, ME | $97,590 | $61,880 | $115,190 | $95,810 |
| 58 | Appleton, WI | $97,550 | $54,020 | $119,000 | $105,550 |
| 59 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $97,550 | $59,220 | $116,440 | $99,600 |
| 60 | Richmond, VA | $97,490 | $66,080 | $112,940 | $99,620 |
| 61 | Denver, CO | $97,200 | $66,580 | $112,280 | $91,890 |
| 62 | Hartford, CT | $96,990 | $56,640 | $116,850 | $94,400 |
| 63 | Charleston, WV | $96,800 | $72,610 | $108,740 | $109,110 |
| 64 | Providence, RI-MA | $96,600 | $54,120 | $117,520 | $94,920 |
| 65 | New Haven, CT | $96,450 | $53,580 | $117,560 | $92,240 |
| 66 | Dover, DE | $96,390 | $63,320 | $112,650 | $98,850 |
| 67 | Davenport, IA-IL | $96,370 | $63,320 | $112,650 | $108,180 |
| 68 | Palm Bay, FL | $96,120 | $64,580 | $111,650 | $96,120 |
| 69 | Norwich, CT | $95,990 | $53,140 | $117,100 | $95,560 |
| 70 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $95,950 | $55,120 | $116,040 | $87,690 |
| 71 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $95,740 | $68,390 | $109,200 | $103,450 |
| 72 | Morgantown, WV | $95,680 | $57,240 | $114,610 | $102,530 |
| 73 | Pittsburgh, PA | $95,620 | $58,720 | $113,800 | $101,000 |
| 74 | Reno, NV | $95,450 | $62,980 | $111,450 | $94,490 |
| 75 | Rochester, NY | $95,390 | $51,750 | $116,900 | $98,300 |
| 76 | Stockton, CA | $95,260 | $60,510 | $112,380 | $90,650 |
| 77 | Madison, WI | $95,200 | $56,410 | $114,320 | $97,850 |
| 78 | Lancaster, PA | $95,100 | $60,010 | $112,380 | $96,790 |
| 79 | St. Cloud, MN | $94,890 | $64,480 | $109,870 | $108,280 |
| 80 | Bismarck, ND | $94,700 | $67,000 | $108,330 | $104,040 |
| 81 | Las Vegas, NV | $94,450 | $64,900 | $108,990 | $94,250 |
| 82 | Williamsport, PA | $94,390 | $57,410 | $112,610 | $102,210 |
| 83 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $94,040 | $51,150 | $115,170 | $102,820 |
| 84 | Dallas, TX | $93,970 | $50,400 | $115,440 | $91,150 |
| 85 | Idaho Falls, ID | $93,680 | $57,620 | $111,450 | $99,220 |
| 86 | Eau Claire, WI | $93,160 | $50,270 | $114,300 | $100,390 |
| 87 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $93,080 | $68,890 | $105,000 | $105,390 |
| 88 | Yakima, WA | $93,040 | $66,620 | $106,040 | $97,380 |
| 89 | Columbus, OH | $92,830 | $64,130 | $106,950 | $97,240 |
| 90 | Burlington, VT | $92,560 | $63,190 | $107,020 | $91,690 |
| 91 | Baltimore, MD | $92,440 | $62,800 | $107,040 | $88,470 |
| 92 | Oxnard, CA | $92,230 | $61,940 | $107,140 | $83,440 |
| 93 | Medford, OR | $91,770 | $53,020 | $110,860 | $90,470 |
| 94 | Omaha, NE-IA | $91,540 | $60,240 | $106,950 | $99,600 |
| 95 | Syracuse, NY | $91,370 | $53,730 | $109,930 | $95,430 |
| 96 | Mount Vernon, WA | $91,350 | $54,580 | $109,490 | $89,170 |
| 97 | Wichita, KS | $90,900 | $70,300 | $101,050 | $102,200 |
| 98 | Weirton, WV-OH | $90,710 | $65,290 | $103,210 | $101,890 |
| 99 | Waterbury, CT | $90,170 | $53,060 | $108,450 | $90,370 |
| 100 | Harrisburg, PA | $90,130 | $57,760 | $106,060 | $91,360 |
| 101 | Miami, FL | $89,960 | $57,760 | $105,830 | $78,810 |
| 102 | Albuquerque, NM | $89,130 | $54,620 | $106,140 | $93,280 |
| 103 | Houston, TX | $89,130 | $44,510 | $111,110 | $90,370 |
| 104 | Utica, NY | $89,110 | $57,760 | $104,540 | $96,150 |
| 105 | Reading, PA | $88,900 | $53,020 | $106,580 | $91,590 |
| 106 | Pensacola, FL | $88,650 | $57,600 | $103,940 | $90,720 |
| 107 | Nashville, TN | $88,630 | $46,340 | $109,450 | $92,000 |
| 108 | Billings, MT | $88,380 | $56,180 | $104,250 | $94,500 |
| 109 | Roanoke, VA | $88,210 | $51,210 | $106,430 | $94,220 |
| 110 | Ann Arbor, MI | $87,610 | $46,920 | $107,660 | $86,850 |
| 111 | Topeka, KS | $87,380 | $50,020 | $105,790 | $98,380 |
| 112 | Akron, OH | $87,130 | $59,570 | $100,710 | $93,320 |
| 113 | Johnstown, PA | $87,050 | $55,040 | $102,840 | $101,300 |
| 114 | Jacksonville, FL | $86,940 | $56,890 | $101,750 | $87,390 |
| 115 | Lima, OH | $86,920 | $60,470 | $99,940 | $96,930 |
| 116 | Manchester, NH | $86,670 | $44,510 | $107,450 | $82,030 |
| 117 | Wausau, WI | $86,650 | $48,320 | $105,520 | $93,520 |
| 118 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $86,280 | $49,550 | $104,370 | $97,580 |
| 119 | Atlanta, GA | $86,240 | $41,930 | $108,060 | $86,190 |
| 120 | Baton Rouge, LA | $85,510 | $61,340 | $97,430 | $94,190 |
| 121 | Eugene, OR | $85,110 | $48,320 | $103,230 | $83,800 |
| 122 | Salem, OR | $85,110 | $51,360 | $101,750 | $82,110 |
| 123 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $84,860 | $49,420 | $102,320 | $88,980 |
| 124 | Toledo, OH | $84,820 | $54,540 | $99,740 | $92,750 |
| 125 | Janesville, WI | $84,760 | $44,570 | $104,560 | $90,460 |
| 126 | Cleveland, OH | $84,720 | $50,250 | $101,690 | $90,200 |
| 127 | New Orleans, LA | $84,610 | $59,050 | $97,200 | $91,370 |
| 128 | Canton, OH | $84,430 | $60,150 | $96,390 | $94,430 |
| 129 | Dayton, OH | $83,620 | $58,590 | $95,950 | $90,210 |
| 130 | Winston, NC | $83,600 | $51,520 | $99,380 | $90,830 |
| 131 | Youngstown, OH | $83,530 | $55,950 | $97,090 | $95,580 |
| 132 | Lincoln, NE | $83,410 | $54,350 | $97,720 | $91,080 |
| 133 | Salt Lake City, UT | $83,140 | $46,220 | $101,340 | $82,420 |
| 134 | Mansfield, OH | $82,990 | $54,950 | $96,820 | $93,380 |
| 135 | San Antonio, TX | $82,800 | $51,500 | $98,240 | $87,420 |
| 136 | North Port, FL | $81,890 | $56,350 | $94,450 | $79,960 |
| 137 | Racine, WI | $81,790 | $47,380 | $98,720 | $85,230 |
| 138 | Terre Haute, IN | $81,680 | $48,260 | $98,160 | $93,030 |
| 139 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $81,580 | $42,100 | $101,000 | $88,500 |
| 140 | Greensboro, NC | $81,450 | $56,040 | $93,970 | $87,710 |
| 141 | Little Rock, AR | $80,790 | $44,050 | $98,880 | $90,410 |
| 142 | Jackson, MS | $80,660 | $53,980 | $93,810 | $90,580 |
| 143 | Tucson, AZ | $80,620 | $57,890 | $91,830 | $83,200 |
| 144 | Charleston, SC | $80,560 | $34,340 | $103,310 | $79,790 |
| 145 | Gulfport, MS | $79,910 | $57,910 | $90,750 | $88,780 |
| 146 | Springfield, MO | $79,870 | $59,360 | $89,980 | $90,160 |
| 147 | Modesto, CA | $79,560 | $63,440 | $87,510 | $76,420 |
| 148 | Raleigh, NC | $78,980 | $52,440 | $92,060 | $80,460 |
| 149 | Detroit, MI | $78,710 | $47,610 | $94,020 | $78,480 |
| 150 | Asheville, NC | $78,560 | $58,260 | $88,550 | $81,400 |
| 151 | Green Bay, WI | $78,520 | $33,450 | $100,710 | $84,350 |
| 152 | Spokane, WA | $78,480 | $51,790 | $91,620 | $78,210 |
| 153 | Tallahassee, FL | $78,120 | $51,540 | $91,230 | $83,180 |
| 154 | Oklahoma City, OK | $78,100 | $50,400 | $91,750 | $86,390 |
| 155 | Austin, TX | $77,040 | $53,870 | $88,460 | $78,560 |
| 156 | Oshkosh, WI | $76,980 | $31,760 | $99,260 | $82,840 |
| 157 | Boise City, ID | $76,730 | $47,010 | $91,370 | $77,980 |
| 158 | Orlando, FL | $76,590 | $50,040 | $89,670 | $75,520 |
| 159 | Lakeland, FL | $76,560 | $53,710 | $87,820 | $78,810 |
| 160 | Anchorage, AK | $76,290 | $55,950 | $86,320 | $72,370 |
| 161 | Greenville, SC | $75,460 | $24,770 | $100,420 | $80,910 |
| 162 | Fort Wayne, IN | $75,170 | $34,990 | $94,970 | $81,200 |
| 163 | Lafayette, IN | $74,730 | $47,590 | $88,090 | $79,990 |
| 164 | Montgomery, AL | $74,650 | $46,320 | $88,610 | $83,240 |
| 165 | Augusta, GA-SC | $74,460 | $28,250 | $97,240 | $81,020 |
| 166 | South Bend, IN-MI | $74,440 | $39,500 | $91,640 | $80,170 |
| 167 | Kalamazoo, MI | $74,070 | $42,560 | $89,590 | $78,100 |
| 168 | Grand Rapids, MI | $73,690 | $39,620 | $90,460 | $77,130 |
| 169 | Indianapolis, IN | $73,570 | $33,920 | $93,100 | $76,880 |
| 170 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $73,380 | $42,740 | $88,480 | $78,840 |
| 171 | Saginaw, MI | $72,650 | $37,880 | $89,770 | $79,930 |
| 172 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $72,090 | $50,880 | $82,560 | $79,540 |
| 173 | El Paso, TX | $72,030 | $38,670 | $88,440 | $80,110 |
| 174 | Lubbock, TX | $71,280 | $46,300 | $83,600 | $78,060 |
| 175 | Florence, AL | $70,910 | $29,520 | $91,290 | $83,600 |
| 176 | Columbia, SC | $70,550 | $32,220 | $89,420 | $75,320 |
| 177 | Lansing, MI | $70,410 | $37,520 | $86,610 | $74,120 |
| 178 | Paducah, KY-IL | $70,300 | $47,010 | $81,790 | $81,660 |
| 179 | Helena, MT | $70,240 | $55,600 | $77,460 | $73,420 |
| 180 | Tulsa, OK | $70,140 | $43,220 | $83,390 | $78,620 |
| 181 | Lexington, KY | $69,560 | $34,380 | $86,860 | $74,890 |
| 182 | Jefferson City, MO | $67,910 | $37,560 | $82,850 | $77,190 |
| 183 | Battle Creek, MI | $67,180 | $44,260 | $78,480 | $74,200 |
| 184 | Evansville, IN | $66,850 | $31,780 | $84,120 | $73,040 |
| 185 | Knoxville, TN | $66,190 | $29,080 | $84,470 | $71,500 |
| 186 | Savannah, GA | $65,170 | $20,950 | $86,960 | $68,450 |
| 187 | Midland, MI | $65,100 | $39,020 | $77,960 | $70,820 |
| 188 | Flint, MI | $64,420 | $29,140 | $81,810 | $69,240 |
| 189 | Birmingham, AL | $55,850 | $18,490 | $74,280 | $60,940 |
| 190 | Columbus, IN | $55,660 | $29,600 | $68,490 | $59,850 |
| 191 | San Juan, PR | $54,000 | $31,470 | $65,100 | N/A |
| 192 | Mobile, AL | $48,920 | $17,680 | $64,310 | $55,530 |
More
More on labor relations specialists
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Labor Relations Specialist salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays labor relations specialists the most?
Vallejo, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $165,320 a year, followed by Bellingham, WA ($136,820), San Jose, CA ($132,160), Santa Cruz, CA ($126,590). The national mean is $98,720 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do labor relations specialists earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Vallejo, CA ($152,400 at national prices, $165,320 nominal), Bellingham, WA ($132,410 at national prices, $136,820 nominal), Waterloo, IA ($122,020 at national prices, $106,230 nominal).
How much do labor relations specialists make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $117,330; Los Angeles, CA: $105,580; Chicago, IL-IN: $99,990; Dallas, TX: $93,970; Houston, TX: $89,130 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do labor relations specialists earn the least?
Of the 192 metro areas with their own estimate, Mobile, AL has the lowest mean wage, $48,920. At local prices that is worth $55,530.