Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
Facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.
What it pays
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators earn a median of $36.31/hr — about $75,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $22.70/hr; the top 10% earn $74.73/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators earn a median of $36.31/hr — about $75,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $22.70/hr; the top 10% earn $74.73/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 9.1% of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Legal Support Workers, All Other
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Lawyers
- Judicial Law Clerks
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Quick questions
- How much does a arbitrators, mediators, and conciliator make?
- The median pay is $36.31 per hour — roughly $75,500 a year, with the real range running from about $22.70/hr (10th percentile) to $74.73/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a arbitrators, mediators, and conciliator?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a arbitrators, mediators, and conciliator actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.