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Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators: Career Profile

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

What Do Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Do?

Typical responsibilities of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators cover:

  • 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.
  • Use mediation techniques to facilitate communication between disputants, to further parties' understanding of different perspectives, and to guide parties toward mutual agreement.
  • 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.

What Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Need to Know

Top arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Negotiation  4.6 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.4 / 5
0
5
Writing  4.2 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.1 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  4.0 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

English Language  4.2 / 5
0
5
Law and Government  4.2 / 5
0
5
Personnel and Human Resources  4.0 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.0 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  2.7 / 5
0
5
Economics and Accounting  2.6 / 5
0
5

Other Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

  • Adjudicator
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator (ADR Coordinator)
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediator (ADR Mediator)
  • Arbiter
  • Arbitration Manager
  • Arbitration Specialist
  • Arbitrator
  • Community Relations Representative (Community Relations Rep)

Employment and Demand

The U.S. employs around 213,771 arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.6% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

How Much Do Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $93,794
Hourly median $45.09
10th percentile $58,165
25th percentile $75,980
75th percentile $111,608
90th percentile $129,423

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

How Much Do Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
District of Columbia $106,720
Illinois $93,590
New York $91,060
Alabama $82,160
Connecticut $81,630
Arizona $80,600
North Carolina $74,050
Michigan $72,630
Indiana $71,820
Virginia $70,080
Kansas $66,000
Colorado $65,270
Wisconsin $65,140
New Mexico $64,560
Pennsylvania $63,870
Tennessee $60,380
Utah $55,890
South Carolina $55,300
Iowa $51,140
Puerto Rico $48,330
Maryland $48,230
Louisiana $47,940
Texas $47,910
North Dakota $43,900

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Earnings for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Middle Atlantic $79,573 29.7% 1.00
Great Lakes $71,181 18.2% 1.11
Southeast $70,043 7.8% 0.36
Rocky Mountains $61,518 3.4% 0.44
Southwest $54,462 28.7% 0.92
Other U.S. Territories $48,330 2.0% 1.29
Plains States $29,972 3.7% 0.67

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $126,750 90
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY NY $124,590 30
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA CA $116,700 90
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $108,350 200
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN IL $107,010 30
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA CA $105,780 110
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA CA $100,560 100
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV DC $97,420

Top Industries Employing Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

The bulk of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators are concentrated in the following sectors:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 3,260 n/a
Other Services (except Public Administration) 570 $53,810
Health Care and Social Assistance 490 $53,600
Educational Services 440 $118,350
Finance and Insurance 150 $78,110
Wholesale Trade 110 $50,130
Management of Companies and Enterprises 80 $60,760
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators sectors

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators work in the following industries:

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators industries

Tools and Technology

  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
  • Customer relationship management CRM software: Salesforce software (hot technology)
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)

Work Environment

The work environment for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators tends to involve the following characteristics:

  • Spend Time Sitting
  • Freedom to Make Decisions
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
  • E-Mail

How to Become Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

Top Programs to Study For This Career

Students preparing for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators typically earn programs in:

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

2 programs across 2 majors

1 programs across 1 majors

Sources

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 23-1022.00 (Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators).

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