Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators: Job Description
Facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.
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What Tasks Do Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Do?
The core tasks performed by arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators span:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- 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)
Job Outlook
There are about 213,771 arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.6% over the projection horizon.
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Pay
| 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 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| 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 |
Industry Breakdown
Most arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators work in these industries:
| 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 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Use
- 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
Daily working conditions for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Education and Training
This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Compliance Managers (Supplemental)
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators (Primary-Long)
- Compliance Officers (Supplemental)
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers (Primary-Long)
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators (Supplemental)
- Labor Relations Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Financial Examiners (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators typically earn programs in:
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
2 programs across 2 majors
Legal Professions and Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes 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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