Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$75,530

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$57,360 – $108,000

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

9,210

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+4.7%

At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)

Openings a year (projected)

300

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

Bachelor's degree

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.

Main tasks

• Prepare written opinions or decisions regarding cases.
• Apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, or precedents to reach conclusions.
• Conduct hearings to obtain information or evidence relative to disposition of claims.
• Determine extent of liability according to evidence, laws, or administrative or judicial precedents.
• Rule on exceptions, motions, or admissibility of evidence.
• Confer with disputants to clarify issues, identify underlying concerns, and develop an understanding of their respective needs and interests.
• Use mediation techniques to facilitate communication between disputants, to further parties' understanding of different perspectives, and to guide parties toward mutual agreement.
• Conduct initial meetings with disputants to outline the arbitration process, settle procedural matters, such as fees, or determine details, such as witness numbers or time requirements.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

Bachelor's degree

Work experience in a related job: less than 5 years

Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 5

Extensive preparation

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 3 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

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• Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

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• Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators

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