Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
Facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.
- Median pay
- $75,530
- Doing it now
- 10,500
- By 2035
- Up 4.7%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
300 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- 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.
- Set up appointments for parties to meet for mediation.
- Prepare settlement agreements for disputants to sign.
- Prepare written opinions or decisions regarding cases.
- Rule on exceptions, motions, or admissibility of evidence.
- Evaluate information from documents, such as claim applications, birth or death certificates, or physician or employer records.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Peace Studies and Conflict ResolutionSee 68 colleges that teach it
- LawSee 4 colleges that teach it
- Dispute ResolutionSee 3 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Leading and persuading
Organised and precise
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $75,530 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.