Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Legal · SOC 23-1022 · O*NET 23-1022.00
Facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators fall under the Legal category in the U.S. occupational classification. Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators earn a median salary of $75,530 per year, ranking in the top 33% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +4.7% job growth through 2035, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators earn?
The median annual wage for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is $75,530. That puts arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators at #274 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $47,220 |
| 25th percentile | $57,360 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $75,530 |
| 75th percentile | $108,000 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $155,440 |
| Median hourly wage | $36.31/hr |
Is arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is +4.7%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 10K positions in 2024 to 11K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Determine extent of liability according to evidence, laws, or administrative or judicial precedents.
- 2.Evaluate information from documents, such as claim applications, birth or death certificates, or physician or employer records.
- 3.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.
- 4.Recommend acceptance or rejection of compromise settlement offers.
- 5.Apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, or precedents to reach conclusions.
- 6.Rule on exceptions, motions, or admissibility of evidence.
- 7.Conduct hearings to obtain information or evidence relative to disposition of claims.
- 8.Research laws, regulations, policies, or precedent decisions to prepare for hearings.
Top skills for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become arbitrators, mediators, and conciliator?
Becoming a arbitrators, mediators, and conciliator typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents: what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators
What is the median salary for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators?
The median annual salary for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is $75,530 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators a growing career?
BLS projects +4.7% growth for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators from 2025 through 2035, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become arbitrators, mediators, and conciliator?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators?
Related occupations within the Legal category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.