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Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

Typical education: Master's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $75,530 Median per year · $36.31/hr Most earn $47,220–$155,440

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Prepare written opinions or decisions regarding cases.
  • Conduct hearings to obtain information or evidence relative to disposition of claims.
  • Issue subpoenas or administer oaths to prepare for formal hearings.
  • Authorize payment of valid claims.
  • Research laws, regulations, policies, or precedent decisions to prepare for hearings.
  • Evaluate information from documents, such as claim applications, birth or death certificates, or physician or employer records.

Job outlook

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Legal services32.8%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals15.1%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals12.7%
  • Self-employed (their own business)9.5%
  • Social advocacy organizations2.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 to 8 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 6 to 8 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people spend about 6 to 8 years building related experience and earn a master's degree before working as a mediator, arbitrator, or conciliator.

  1. Bachelor's degree in a field like business, psychology, labor relations, or communications

    4 years

    You build writing, reasoning, and people skills, and you can start looking for work that puts you in contact with conflicts or negotiations.

  2. Labor Relations Specialist

    2-4 years

    You work on contracts, grievances, and disputes between employers and employees, which gives you hands-on practice with negotiation and resolving disagreements.

  3. Master's degree in dispute resolution, conflict resolution, or a related field

    About 2 years

    A graduate program adds formal training in mediation, arbitration procedures, and ethics, which this career typically requires.

  4. Mediator, Conciliator, or Arbitrator

    Reached after about 6-8 years of total related experience

    You help parties in a dispute reach agreement (mediation or conciliation) or make a binding or non-binding decision (arbitration), usually as an independent neutral.

Where it can lead

  1. Administrative Law Judge

    4-6 years of experience first

    You move from settling disputes by agreement to presiding over formal hearings and issuing decisions, which usually requires a law degree and passing a licensing or selection process.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Join debate or speech teamDebate teaches you to listen to opposing views, think quickly, and explain your position clearly, all of which are core skills for mediators.
  • Take English, history, and social studies classesStrong reading and writing skills help you understand complicated documents and communicate fairly with people on both sides of a dispute.
  • Become a peer mediator or join a conflict resolution club if your school has oneHelping classmates resolve disagreements gives you early, real practice in listening and finding common ground.
  • Get a part-time job in customer service or retailHandling complaints and upset customers builds patience and calm problem-solving under pressure.
  • Volunteer with a community organization that helps people resolve problemsCommunity centers, libraries, or local nonprofits often need volunteers who can help people work through conflicts, which shows you care about fairness.

In college

  • Major in a field like psychology, labor relations, political science, or pre-lawThese majors build understanding of human behavior, workplace rules, and how disputes are handled, which prepares you for graduate study in dispute resolution.
  • Take courses in negotiation, conflict resolution, or communicationMany colleges offer these classes, and they give you a foundation in the techniques you will use as a mediator.
  • Get an internship or part-time job in HR, a union office, a legal office, or a government agencySeeing how grievances, contracts, and disputes actually work gives you experience that employers and graduate programs look for.
  • Join a debate club, Model UN, or a student government committeeThese groups help you practice presenting multiple sides fairly and building consensus, which are key skills for this career.
  • Volunteer as a peer mediator or with a community dispute resolution programHands-on mediation practice, even at a small scale, shows your interest and helps you decide whether this path fits you.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for jobs or volunteer roles where you handle disagreements, such as customer complaints, school peer mediation, or union or workplace committees. Real experience matters a lot in this field.
  • Ask mediators or arbitrators for an informational interview to learn how they got started and what their days look like.
  • Check the career's page on this app for the typical pay near you and nationally, and for the full range of what people earn.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Master's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $55,968 a year · typical debt $44,777
  • Dispute Resolution Master's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $74,501 a year · typical debt $126,536
  • Law Master's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $69,606 a year · typical debt $56,616

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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