Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators: salary, outlook & degrees
Facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.
Middle half $57,360–$108,000. 9,210 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 300 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $162,410 |
| District of Columbia | $110,300 |
| New Mexico | $110,180 |
| California | $97,680 |
| Colorado | $82,590 |
| Arizona | $82,150 |
| Virginia | $79,530 |
| Alabama | $76,810 |
| Michigan | $76,270 |
| North Carolina | $75,320 |
| New York | $70,800 |
| Ohio | $68,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,890 |
| Montana | $64,980 |
| Kansas | $64,970 |
| Rhode Island | $63,770 |
| Tennessee | $62,140 |
| South Carolina | $58,990 |
| Maryland | $58,890 |
| Indiana | $57,390 |
| PR | $50,960 |
| Texas | $50,940 |
| Louisiana | $46,100 |
| Oklahoma | $36,780 |
Largest metro areas for this job
- New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ$77,430
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX$56,340
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA$108,150
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV$109,920
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos TX$57,160
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD$74,520
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ$82,150
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA$129,180
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA$84,460
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA$106,910
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom CA$79,730
- Buffalo-Cheektowaga NY$75,200
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
Work styles
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
- Dependability
- Empathy
People in this job tend to have Enterprising (leading), Conventional (organizing), Social (helping) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators: questions
How much do arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators make?
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators earn a U.S. median $75,530 a year; the middle half earn $57,360 to $108,000 (BLS, May 2025).
Is arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 300 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliator?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 90% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 23-1022. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/arbitrators-mediators-and-conciliators.