### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			arbitrators mediators and conciliators imageArbitrators, mediators, and conciliators help disputing parties resolve their conflict by facilitating dialogue and negotiations.							
						Quick Facts:     Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators2023     Median Pay
            						$71,540     per year
										$34.39     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Bachelor's degreeWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    Less than 5 yearsOn-the-job Training
                                    Moderate-term on-the-job trainingNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    9,100Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    5% (Faster than average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    500What Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Do
                                                
                        
                        
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators facilitate negotiation and dialogue between disputing parties to help resolve conflicts outside of the court system.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Many arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators work for state or local governments or in the legal services industry.
            
                                                How to Become an Arbitrator, Mediator, or Conciliator
                                                
                        
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators typically need at least a bachelor's degree at the entry level. They learn their skills through a combination of education, training, and work experience.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators was $71,540 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is projected to grow							 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
						About 400 openings for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Do 
            

			arbitrators mediators and conciliators imageArbitrators, mediators, and conciliators help parties come to mutually acceptable agreements.			
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators facilitate negotiation and dialogue between disputing parties to help resolve conflicts outside of the court system.
Duties
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators typically do the following:
Facilitate communication between disputants to guide parties toward mutual agreement
Clarify issues, concerns, needs, and interests of all parties involved
Conduct initial meetings with disputants to outline the arbitration process
Settle procedural matters such as fees, or determine details such as witness numbers and time requirements
Set up appointments for parties to meet for mediation or arbitration
Interview claimants, agents, or witnesses to obtain information about disputed issues
Prepare settlement agreements for disputants to sign
Apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, or precedents to reach conclusions
Evaluate information from documents such as claim applications, birth or death certificates, and physician or employer recordsArbitrators, mediators, and conciliators help opposing parties settle disputes outside of court. They hold private, confidential hearings, which are less formal than a court trial.
***Arbitrators*** are usually attorneys, business professionals, or retired judges with expertise in a particular field. As impartial third parties, they hear and decide disputes between opposing parties. Arbitrators may work alone or in a panel with other arbitrators. In some cases, arbitrators may decide procedural issues, such as what evidence may be submitted and when hearings will be held.
Arbitration may be required by law for some claims and disputes. When it is not required, the parties in dispute sometimes voluntarily agree to arbitration rather than proceed with litigation or a trial. In some cases, parties may appeal the arbitrator’s decision.
***Mediators*** are neutral parties who help people resolve their disputes. However, unlike arbitrators, they do not render binding decisions. Rather, mediators help facilitate discussion and guide the parties toward a mutually acceptable agreement. If the opposing sides cannot reach a settlement with the mediator’s help, they are free to pursue other options.
***Conciliators*** are similar to mediators. Although their role is to help guide opposing sides to a settlement, they typically meet with the parties separately. The opposing sides must decide in advance if they will be bound by the conciliator’s recommendations.
 Work Environment
			arbitrators mediators and conciliators imageArbitrators, mediators, and conciliators usually work in private offices or meeting rooms.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators held about 9,100 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators were as follows:
        State government, excluding education and hospitals
                14%Local government, excluding education and hospitals
                13Insurance carriers and related activities
                8Healthcare and social assistance
                6Educational services; state, local, and private
                4Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators usually work in private offices or meeting rooms. They may travel to a neutral site chosen for negotiations.
The work may be stressful because arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators sometimes work with difficult or confrontational individuals or with highly charged and emotional situations, such as injury settlements or family disputes.
 How to Become an Arbitrator, Mediator, or Conciliator

			arbitrators mediators and conciliators imageArbitrators, mediators, and conciliators are usually lawyers or business professionals with expertise in a particular field.			
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators typically need at least a bachelor's degree at the entry level. They learn their skills through a combination of education, training, and work experience.
Education
Few candidates for these jobs receive a degree specific to the field of arbitration, mediation, or conflict resolution. Rather, many positions require education appropriate to the applicant’s field of expertise. A bachelor’s degree is often sufficient, but some positions require candidates to have a law degree, a master’s in business administration, or another type of advanced degree.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators are usually lawyers, retired judges, or business professionals with expertise in a particular field, such as construction, finance, or insurance. They need to have knowledge of that industry and be able to relate well to people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Training
Mediators typically work under the supervision of an experienced mediator for a certain number of cases before working independently.
Training for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is available through independent mediation programs, national and local mediation membership organizations, and postsecondary schools. Training is also available by volunteering at a community mediation center.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
There is no national license for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators. However, some states require arbitrators and mediators to become certified to work on certain types of cases. Qualifications, standards, and the number of training hours required vary by state or by court. Most states require mediators to complete 20 to 40 hours of training courses to become certified. Some states require additional hours of training in a specialty area.
Some states require licenses appropriate to the applicant’s field of expertise. For example, some courts may require applicants to be licensed attorneys or certified public accountants.
Important Qualities
***Critical-thinking skills.*** Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators must apply rules of law. They must remain neutral and not let their own personal assumptions interfere with the proceedings.
***Decision-making skills.*** Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators must be able to weigh facts, apply the law or rules, and make a decision relatively quickly.
***Interpersonal skills.*** Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators deal with disputing parties and must be able to facilitate discussion in a calm and respectful way.
***Listening skills.*** Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators must pay close attention to what is being said in order for them to evaluate information.
***Reading skills.*** Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators must be able to evaluate and distinguish important facts from large amounts of complex information.
***Writing skills.*** Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators write recommendations or decisions relating to appeals or disputes. They must be able to write their decisions clearly so that all sides understand the decision.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Arbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsMedian annual wages, May 2023Lawyers, judges, and related workers$140,320  Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators$71,540  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators was $71,540 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,960, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $152,730.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Educational services; state, local, and private
                $118,400Local government, excluding education and hospitals
                86,800State government, excluding education and hospitals
                74,320Insurance carriers and related activities
                55,710Healthcare and social assistance
                53,130
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
                Arbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Lawyers, judges, and related workers7%  Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators5%  Total, all occupations3%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is projected to grow				 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
			
			About 400 openings for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
The alternative methods of resolving disputes that these workers provide often are quicker and less expensive than trials and litigation. In addition, many contracts, such as those for employment and real estate, include clauses requiring mediation or arbitration to resolve complaints and disputes. These factors should help to support demand for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators.
However, because alternative dispute resolution in government is contingent on available funds, state and local government budgets may affect public sector employment of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators.
			

                        Employment projections data for     arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators**
			23-1022
			9,100
			9,600
			5
			500
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Judges and Hearing Officers**
            Judges and hearing officers oversee legal matters in court or administrative proceedings.
            Doctoral or professional degree
            $132,950**Lawyers**
            Lawyers advise and represent clients on legal proceedings or transactions.
            Doctoral or professional degree
            $145,760**Paralegals and Legal Assistants**
            Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers.
            Associate's degree
            $60,970**Private Detectives and Investigators**
            Private detectives and investigators gather, analyze, and report information to clients regarding legal or personal matters.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $49,540
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators, visit
American Arbitration Association
Association for Conflict Resolution

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/arbitrators-mediators-and-conciliators.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics**
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