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Best states for an employee relations specialist
Quoted expert
Dr. Amy Dufrane
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Are you thinking of becoming an employee relations specialist and really want to work at The Coca-Cola Company? Turns out, your chances to become an employee relations specialist are better in some states than others.We wanted to look at the best states for employee relations specialists -- where there are plenty of employee relations specialist jobs to go around and employee relations specialists get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for employee relations specialists.Massachusetts is the best state, and Falmouth is the city with the highest pay for employee relations specialists.
10 best states for employee relations specialists in 2026
1. Massachusetts
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 358 Average annual salary: $79,646 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
2. District of Columbia
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 185 Average annual salary: $76,268 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 2.94
3. Rhode Island
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 65 Average annual salary: $65,656 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
4. Vermont
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 34 Average annual salary: $67,940 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
5. Michigan
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 273 Average annual salary: $74,014 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. Connecticut
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 122 Average annual salary: $70,845 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
7. California
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 1,268 Average annual salary: $69,685 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
8. Oregon
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 264 Average annual salary: $63,289 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.7
9. Nevada
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 69 Average annual salary: $69,248 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
10. Arizona
Total employee relations specialist jobs: 255 Average annual salary: $61,872 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
Employee relations specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an employee relations specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an employee relations specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $79,646 | $55,000 | 6,859,819 | 358 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $76,268 | $51,000 | 693,972 | 185 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $65,656 | $45,000 | 1,059,639 | 65 |
| 4 | Vermont | $67,940 | $48,000 | 623,657 | 34 |
| 5 | Michigan | $74,014 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 273 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $70,845 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 122 |
| 7 | California | $69,685 | $45,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,268 |
| 8 | Oregon | $63,289 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 264 |
| 9 | Nevada | $69,248 | $45,000 | 2,998,039 | 69 |
| 10 | Arizona | $61,872 | $41,000 | 7,016,270 | 255 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $69,096 | $47,000 | 9,005,644 | 270 |
| 12 | Iowa | $60,711 | $42,000 | 3,145,711 | 140 |
| 13 | Delaware | $63,791 | $43,000 | 961,939 | 42 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $64,434 | $45,000 | 1,342,795 | 51 |
| 15 | New York | $60,906 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 600 |
| 16 | Alabama | $61,836 | $42,000 | 4,874,747 | 110 |
| 17 | Virginia | $62,494 | $41,000 | 8,470,020 | 332 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $58,356 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 259 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $61,854 | $42,000 | 1,815,857 | 33 |
| 20 | Colorado | $60,752 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 211 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $56,800 | $38,000 | 12,805,537 | 422 |
| 22 | Maine | $56,280 | $40,000 | 1,335,907 | 53 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $54,910 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 24 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $58,899 | $40,000 | 4,454,189 | 124 |
| 25 | Illinois | $56,912 | $39,000 | 12,802,023 | 524 |
| 26 | Kansas | $59,599 | $41,000 | 2,913,123 | 78 |
| 27 | Utah | $54,433 | $37,000 | 3,101,833 | 139 |
| 28 | Alaska | $53,343 | $43,000 | 739,795 | 38 |
| 29 | Washington | $60,905 | $41,000 | 7,405,743 | 226 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $56,328 | $37,000 | 2,088,070 | 66 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $50,780 | $34,000 | 6,715,984 | 221 |
| 32 | Idaho | $56,425 | $38,000 | 1,716,943 | 41 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $50,311 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 364 |
| 34 | Ohio | $50,626 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 361 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $50,499 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 80 |
| 36 | Georgia | $50,187 | $34,000 | 10,429,379 | 380 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $51,862 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 73 |
| 38 | Montana | $45,533 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 55 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $46,686 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 124 |
| 40 | Indiana | $51,042 | $35,000 | 6,666,818 | 183 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $51,879 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 22 |
| 42 | Missouri | $49,533 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 189 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $48,050 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 71 |
| 44 | Maryland | $47,822 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 216 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $41,240 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 184 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $44,551 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 36 |
| 47 | Texas | $43,423 | $29,000 | 28,304,596 | 679 |
| 48 | Florida | $44,092 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 503 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $37,615 | $26,000 | 5,795,483 | 192 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $42,888 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 22 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $42,369 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 78 |
Highest paying states for employee relations specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Employee Relations Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $79,646 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $76,268 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $65,656 |
| 4 | Vermont | $67,940 |
| 5 | Michigan | $74,014 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $70,845 |
| 7 | California | $69,685 |
| 8 | Oregon | $63,289 |
| 9 | Nevada | $69,248 |
| 10 | Arizona | $61,872 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $69,096 |
| 12 | Iowa | $60,711 |
| 13 | Delaware | $63,791 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $64,434 |
| 15 | New York | $60,906 |
| 16 | Alabama | $61,836 |
| 17 | Virginia | $62,494 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $58,356 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $61,854 |
| 20 | Colorado | $60,752 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $56,800 |
| 22 | Maine | $56,280 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $54,910 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $58,899 |
| 25 | Illinois | $56,912 |
| 26 | Kansas | $59,599 |
| 27 | Utah | $54,433 |
| 28 | Alaska | $53,343 |
| 29 | Washington | $60,905 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $56,328 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $50,780 |
| 32 | Idaho | $56,425 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $50,311 |
| 34 | Ohio | $50,626 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $50,499 |
| 36 | Georgia | $50,187 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $51,862 |
| 38 | Montana | $45,533 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $46,686 |
| 40 | Indiana | $51,042 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $51,879 |
| 42 | Missouri | $49,533 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $48,050 |
| 44 | Maryland | $47,822 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $41,240 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $44,551 |
| 47 | Texas | $43,423 |
| 48 | Florida | $44,092 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $37,615 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $42,888 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $42,369 |
Expert opinions on the best states for employee relations specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for employee relations specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Amy Dufrane
Chief Executive Officer, HRCI
Attractive locations for graduates to work are larger cities with manufacturing and service-driven economies using shared resources and supply chains with technological and virtual service delivery. However, as more companies have relaxed their remote work policies, where someone lives is becoming less and less important. What is becoming more important to graduates are the certifications and learning experiences that will differentiate them from others seeking employment.
Employee relations specialist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025