Employee Relations Associate Salary in the United States

How much does an Employee Relations Associate make in the United States?

As of June 01, 2026, the average salary for an Employee Relations Associate in the United States is $66,181 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.

However, an Employee Relations Associate's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $81,242
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59,419 to $74,064
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $53,263
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered HR
AI Onboarding
View as table View as graph 25% $59,419 10% $53,263 90% $81,242 75% $74,064 $66,181 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Employee Relations Associate Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $74,064 $6,172 $1,424 $36
Average $66,181 $5,515 $1,273 $32
25th Percentile $59,419 $4,952 $1,143 $29
Check out Employee Relations Associate Job Openings in the United States
Customer Relations Associate

Cabela's - Columbus, OH

Patient Relations&amp Skincare Sales Associate Supervisor

Dermafix Spa - Cincinnati, OH

MFG Associate Relations Manager

Kroger Springdale Ice Cream & Beverage - Cincinnati, OH

Search More Employee Relations Associate Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Employee Relations Associate Salaries

An Employee Relations Associate's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Employee Relations Associate Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Employee Relations Associate's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $65,601
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $84,618
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $102,552
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $116,942
  • Expert (over 8 years): $125,805
Levels Salary
Employee ... Level Employee Relations Associate$65,601
Employee ... Level Employee Relations Associate$84,618
Employee ... Level Employee Relations Associate$102,552
Employee ... Level Employee Relations Associate$116,942
Employee ... Level Employee Relations Associate$125,805
$65,601 0 yr
$84,618 < 2 yrs
$102,552 2-4 yrs
$116,942 5-8 yrs
$125,805 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Employee Relations Associate Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Employee Relations Associates. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $73,275.
  • California: $72,998.
  • Massachusetts: $72,025.

Top Paying Cities for Employee Relations Associates

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $83,474
  • San Francisco: $82,560
  • Oakland: $80,820

What Skills Can Increase an Employee Relations Associate's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Initiative (Mentioned in 3.78% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
  • Food Safety (Mentioned in 2.38% Job Postings): Applying procedures during food preparation, processing, storage, and distribution to ensure consumers are safe from foodborne illnesses.
  • Employee Engagement (Mentioned in 1.16% Job Postings): Employee engagement is a fundamental concept in the effort to understand and describe, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the nature of the relationship between an organization and its employees. An "engaged employee" is defined as one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and so takes positive action to further the organization's reputation and interests. An engaged employee has a positive attitude towards the organization and its values. In contrast, a disengaged employee may range from someone doing the bare minimum at work (aka 'coasting'), up to an employee who is actively damaging the company's work output and reputation. An organization with "high" employee engagement might therefore be expected to outperform those with "low" employee engagement. Employee engagement first appeared as a concept in management theory in the 1990s, becoming widespread in management practice in the 2000s, but it remains contested. It stands in an unspecified relationship to earlier constructs such as morale and job satisfaction. Despite academic critiques, employee engagement practices are well established in the management of human resources and of internal communications.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Initiative 3.78%
Food Safety 2.38%
Employee Engagement 1.16%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Employee Relations Associate's salary.
  • Resource Management: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
  • Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
  • Microsoft Outlook: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Resource Management
$77,432
17%
Insight
$75,446
14%
Microsoft Outlook
$74,784
13%
Analysis
$73,461
11%
Collaboration
$72,799
10%
Project Management
$72,137
9%
Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an Employee Relations Associate's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Employee Relations Associates enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Employee Relations Associate with a Associate's Degree is between $61,314 and $66,243).

Employee Relations Associate Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Employee Relations Associate
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.4%
High School 8.4%
Associates 5.6%
Bachelors 52.4%
Masters 31.5%
Doctorate 0.7%
view as graph

Employee Relations Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Employee Relations Associate's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on June 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Employee Relations Associate

Salaries for an Employee Relations Associate can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $60,951 in 2023 to around $59,850 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Employee Relations Associate salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Employee Relations Associate Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$60,951
2024
$60,330
2025
$59,850
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $60,951
2024 $60,330
2025 $59,850
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Employee Relations Associate

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Employee Relations Associate

Here are companies hiring for Employee Relations Associate and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Employee Relations Associate Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Employee Relations Associate job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst