Wisconsin·Business and Financial Operations Occupations·SOC 13-1075

Best Labor Relations Specialist programs in Wisconsin, ranked by enrollment

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

26 schools in Wisconsin run programs that feed this job, graduating 436 people a year. The job pays a median of $95,750 in Wisconsin across about 1,690 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledBusiness AgentLabor SpecialistBusiness RepresentativeLabor Relations SpecialistConciliatorUnion StewardLabor MediatorLabor Organizer
Graduates / yr
436
in Wisconsin
Median pay · Wisconsin
$95,750
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,690
people employed
Schools
26
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
51%
across those schools
Median net price
$23,319
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Wisconsin that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

2 programs in Wisconsin that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Wisconsin (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Wisconsin page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 52.1001In Wisconsin
435
99.8%
25$49,084$26,536
2
CIP 30.2801In Wisconsin
1
0.2%
1$41,622$21,250

Top 25 schools in Wisconsin

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 26 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Moraine Park Technical College
Fond du Lac, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
41Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$36,88658%
2Waukesha County Technical College
Pewaukee, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
39Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$45,38344%
3Mid - State Technical College
Wisconsin Rapids, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
38Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General52%
4University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Whitewater, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
29Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$52,07159%86%
5Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
28Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$40,00665%
6University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Green Bay, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
28Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General48%89%
7Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Green Bay, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
26Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$45,65151%
8Concordia University - Wisconsin
Mequon, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
22Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$58,98268%$24,40978%
9Madison Area Technical College
Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
22Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General29%
10Lakeshore Technical College
Cleveland, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
20Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General50%
11Chippewa Valley Technical College
Eau Claire, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
18Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$40,85850%
12Northwood Technical College
Rice Lake, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
18Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General56%
13Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
15Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General25%
14Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
14Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General51%
15University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
14Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General64%82%
16Northcentral Technical College
Wausau, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
12Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General45%
17Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
10Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$54,24283%$25,37681%
18Blackhawk Technical College
Janesville, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
7Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General34%
19Ottawa University - Milwaukee
Brookfield, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$49,063
20Western Technical College
La Crosse, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
7Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$44,91134%
21Saint Norbert College
De Pere, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
6Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General71%$23,31986%
22University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
6Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General90%45%
23University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Platteville, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
4Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General56%89%
24Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa
Wauwatosa, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General$39,42820%$15,767
25Herzing University - Madison
Madison, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General28%$20,96594%

All 26 schools in Wisconsin

Every school in Wisconsin with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Wisconsin that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Moraine Park Technical CollegeFond du LacPublic411
Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukeePublic391
Mid - State Technical CollegeWisconsin RapidsPublic381
University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewaterPublic291
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppletonPublic281
University of Wisconsin - Green BayGreen BayPublic281
Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeGreen BayPublic261
Concordia University - WisconsinMequonPrivate not-for-profit221
Madison Area Technical CollegeMadisonPublic221
Lakeshore Technical CollegeClevelandPublic201
Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau ClairePublic181
Northwood Technical CollegeRice LakePublic181
Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeMilwaukeePublic151
Gateway Technical CollegeKenoshaPublic141
University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau ClairePublic141

What labor relations specialists earn in Wisconsin

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Wisconsin
$95,750
Mean annual
$94,030
Jobs in state
1,690
What the range looks like
10th pct$48,440Median$95,75090th pct$148,030
Versus the national median
+0.3%

U.S. median $95,420. Wisconsin pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
1.38×

Concentrated here: Wisconsin employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Wisconsin

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$105,250median
510 jobs
Appleton, WI
$97,750median
120 jobs
Madison, WI
$98,430median
290 jobs
Eau Claire, WI
$103,230median
70 jobs
Wausau, WI
$80,070median
50 jobs
Janesville-Beloit, WI
$83,640median
30 jobs
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI
$72,660median
30 jobs
Green Bay, WI
$78,810median
110 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
-0.1%
Little or no change
Openings per year
5,100
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
-100
65,400 → 65,400
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Labor Relations Specialists page.

How to become a Labor Relations Specialist

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience needed
Less than 5 years

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Wisconsin

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 4 majors mapped to Labor Relations Specialists4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 30.2801Dispute Resolution
  • 52.1001Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
  • 52.1002Labor and Industrial Relations
  • 52.1004Labor Studies

Common questions

Answers for people weighing labor relations specialists programs in Wisconsin.

What degree do you need to become a Labor Relations Specialist?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General, which awarded 435 degrees in Wisconsin in 2024-25, 99.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Labor Relations Specialist?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Human Resources Management and Services, Dispute Resolution. Together they graduate about 436 people a year in Wisconsin.

How much do labor relations specialists earn in Wisconsin?+

The median is $95,750 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.3% above the U.S. median of $95,420. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for labor relations specialists growing?+

BLS projects a -0.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 5,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Wisconsin?+

26 institutions in Wisconsin reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do labor relations specialists work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Business Agent, Labor Specialist, Business Representative, Labor Relations Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-1075.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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