Labor Relations Specialists Salary
Labor Relations Specialists in Raleigh-Cary, NC make a median of $78,120 a year, or about $37.56 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $117K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $79,584 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,750/month, about 33.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $78K actually covers in Raleigh-Cary, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About labor relations specialists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Raleigh-Cary
Pay for labor relations specialists in Raleigh-Cary runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $95K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,750/month, which is 35.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for labor relations specialistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for labor relations specialists in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $99K | $102K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $77K | $83K |
| Asheville | $73K | $76K |
| Winston-Salem | $77K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level labor relations specialists (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $117K or more, a $63K spread from bottom to top.
Labor Relations Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Labor Relations Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $118K | +24% | 3,700 |
| District of Columbia | $116K | +21% | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $111K | +17% | 1,660 |
| California | $106K | +11% | 8,830 |
| Illinois | $104K | +9% | 3,670 |
| Washington | $104K | +9% | 2,760 |
| North Dakota | $101K | +6% | 90 |
| Minnesota | $101K | +6% | 1,710 |
| New York | $101K | +5% | 6,860 |
| Virginia | $99K | +3% | 990 |
| Delaware | $97K | +2% | 280 |
| Arizona | $97K | +2% | 790 |
| Maine | $97K | +1% | 210 |
| Wisconsin | $96K | +0% | 1,690 |
| Maryland | $94K | -1% | 890 |
| Missouri | $94K | -2% | 1,190 |
| Idaho | $93K | -2% | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $91K | -4% | 3,470 |
| Rhode Island | $88K | -8% | 410 |
| West Virginia | $88K | -8% | 420 |
| Wyoming | $87K | -8% | 60 |
| Colorado | $87K | -9% | 470 |
| North Carolina | $86K | -10% | 690 |
| Vermont | $86K | -10% | 120 |
| New Hampshire | $85K | -11% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $84K | -12% | 120 |
| Kansas | $83K | -13% | 370 |
| Nebraska | $82K | -14% | 270 |
| Florida | $82K | -14% | 1,970 |
| Georgia | $81K | -15% | 920 |
| Oregon | $80K | -16% | 1,210 |
| Ohio | $80K | -16% | 4,100 |
| Texas | $80K | -17% | 2,590 |
| Connecticut | $80K | -17% | 1,240 |
| Mississippi | $79K | -17% | 200 |
| Iowa | $79K | -17% | 610 |
| Louisiana | $78K | -18% | 170 |
| South Carolina | $78K | -18% | 340 |
| Alaska | $78K | -18% | 380 |
| Hawaii | $77K | -19% | 510 |
| Nevada | $77K | -19% | 610 |
| Indiana | $77K | -19% | 2,600 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -19% | 560 |
| Michigan | $74K | -23% | 2,430 |
| Kentucky | $74K | -23% | 640 |
| Montana | $70K | -26% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -35% | 250 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -35% | 180 |
| Utah | $61K | -36% | 250 |
| South Dakota | $58K | -39% | 100 |
| Alabama | $48K | -50% | 590 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track labor relations specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a labor relations specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 35.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for labor relations specialists in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new labor relations specialists typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,202/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is labor relations specialist a high-paying job in Raleigh-Cary?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $78K here vs. $95K nationally.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for labor relations specialists?
Raleigh-Cary pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $95K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $80K — below the national median.
How much do labor relations specialists make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $78,120 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,370, and experienced labor relations specialists can clear $116,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,986/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 35.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a labor relations specialists salary go in Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median labor relations specialists salary is worth about $79,584 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do labor relations specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.