Employee relations specialist vs employee relations manager

The differences between employee relations specialists and employee relations managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an employee relations specialist, becoming an employee relations manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an employee relations manager has an average salary of $81,465, which is higher than the $56,574 average annual salary of an employee relations specialist.

The top three skills for an employee relations specialist include performance management, excellent interpersonal and corrective action. The most important skills for an employee relations manager are performance management, management system, and conflict resolution.

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations manager overview

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Manager
Yearly salary	$56,574	$81,465
Hourly rate	$27.20	$39.17
Growth rate	-3%	7%
Number of jobs	30,109	41,544
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	41	47
Years of experience	4	6

What does an employee relations specialist do?

An employee relations specialist is someone who identifies the recruitment needs of employers. The specialist collects and analyzes employee data, organizes and updates employee files, and oversees employee orientation and training. Employee relations specialists promote colleges' majors to employers through mass mailings, off-site employer visits, and cold calls. They help with on-campus recruitment events and manage employment opportunity posting. The skills necessary for this job include customer service, communications skills, knowledge in software applications, and attention to detail.

What does an employee relations manager do?

An employee relations manager's responsibilities revolve around maintaining a strong professional relationship between employees and a company's management. They are also in charge of resolving conflicts and issues within the workplace, providing technical support on all employee programs, developing orientation and workshop activities among trainees and new members of the workforce, and addressing their concerns promptly and professionally. Furthermore, there are instances when an employee relations manager must conduct investigations, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations manager salary

Employee relations specialists and employee relations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Manager
Average salary	$56,574	$81,465
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $81,000	Between $59,000 And $112,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Washington
Best paying company	Adobe	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Retail

Differences between employee relations specialist and employee relations manager education

There are a few differences between an employee relations specialist and an employee relations manager in terms of educational background:

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	Northwestern University

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations manager demographics

Here are the differences between employee relations specialists' and employee relations managers' demographics:

	Employee Relations Specialist	Employee Relations Manager
Average age	41	47
Gender ratio	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%	Male, 40.9% Female, 59.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	18%

Differences between employee relations specialist and employee relations manager duties and responsibilities

Employee relations specialist example responsibilities.

Manage and implement improvements to UK recruitment and inductions/orientation.
Gather and document information to achieve litigation free outcomes or successfully defend company.
Manage departmental restructuring & redundancy program for engineering operations across two UK locations.
Generate HRIS reports and manage personnel files, management information, and candidate data utilizing standardize reporting systems.
Advise on legal compliance (e.g., ADA, FMLA, harassment) and contract and policy interpretation.
Administer to ADA, FLSA, FMLA/ PDL/ CFRA, and retirement.

Employee relations manager example responsibilities.

Lead office through OFCCP audit and manage compliance with a conciliation agreement.
Manage and publish several cost-savings models for Sr. level management.
Provide litigation support to counsel which include representation at depositions, mediation and settlement conferences, and trial document preparation.
File EEO-1, ACA annually.
Provide oversight for all unemployment claims, successfully defending all unfound claims.
Serve as chief spokesperson and advisor on all labor and employee relations matters.

Employee relations specialist vs employee relations manager skills

Common employee relations specialist skills

Performance Management, 6%
Excellent Interpersonal, 5%
Corrective Action, 5%
Management System, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Conflict Resolution, 5%

Common employee relations manager skills

Performance Management, 9%
Management System, 7%
Conflict Resolution, 5%
Labor Relations, 5%
Employment Law, 5%
Employee Engagement, 4%

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Employee Relations Specialist
Employee Relations Specialist vs Employee Relations Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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