Hiring a labor relations specialist in Sioux Falls, SD

Employers in the Sioux Falls, SD-MN area pay labor relations specialists a median of $56,900, with the middle half of the market between $51,650 and $80,430. Sioux Falls residents working in business and financial operations occupations report a median of $65,294, which is 15% above what the metro pays for this role.

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What does a labor relations specialist earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Sioux Falls, SD-MN area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$51,650
Median	$56,900
75th percentile	$80,430

Half of labor relations specialists in this area earn between $51,650 and $80,430. A band set below $51,650 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Sioux Falls residents earn

$65,294

Median earnings of Sioux Falls residents working in business and financial operations occupations, 6,858 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 15% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

Residents here already earn more than this role pays, so your offer is competing with whatever they currently commute to.

What does the role actually involve?

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.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 13-1075.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Oracle HRIS, Kubernetes, Microsoft Access.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Sioux Falls?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

That matters here, because 37.4% of Sioux Falls adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a workable pool, but the search will reach beyond the city line. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Sioux Falls commute runs 17 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 9.4% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Lincoln County, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services employs 198 and turns over 8.9% a quarter, with 34 hires against 13 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,388 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5412.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about labor relations specialists. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $11,380 to $17,070 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.