Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
Less than 5 years
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators help people and organizations resolve disputes outside of traditional court processes. Nationally, this occupation has a median annual salary of $67,710, with about 9,000 people employed. Projected employment growth of 4.3% points to a modestly expanding field. While annual openings are currently reported as 0, the existing employment base and positive growth projection indicate an established but relatively small profession. Opportunity can vary significantly by location, with certain states and metro areas offering higher salaries and distinct opportunity scores. A bachelor’s degree is the typical education requirement, supported by a broad mix of communication, analytical, interpersonal, and technology-related skills. For students, career changers, or professionals with strong conflict-resolution and communication strengths, this role can offer a focused career path with specialized opportunities in select regions. Similar occupations include administrative law judges and hearing officers, various types of psychologists, and postsecondary law and political science teachers.
The national median annual salary for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is $67,710, but pay levels differ widely by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, Colorado shows a median salary of $82,590 and Virginia $79,530, both notably higher than the national median. New York’s median of $70,800 and Pennsylvania’s $67,890 are closer to the national figure, while Maryland’s median is $58,890. At the metro level, salaries can be substantially higher. The San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area reports a median salary of $129,180, and the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA and Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metros report medians of $108,150 and $109,920, respectively. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY-NJ and Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metros show medians of $77,430 and $74,520. These figures highlight the importance of regional salary differences when assessing earning potential.
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators have national employment of about 9,000 and a projected employment growth rate of 4.3%. This indicates that the field is expected to expand, although the total number of workers remains relatively small. Despite this projected growth, annual openings are reported as 0, suggesting that the labor market is not characterized by a large volume of new positions each year. The same 4.3% projected growth rate appears across the highlighted states and metro areas, pointing to consistent expectations for expansion in many locations rather than sharp differences in regional growth. For career planning, this means that the occupation offers an established niche with measured growth rather than rapid, high-volume hiring. Individuals considering this path may want to pay close attention to local employment counts and opportunity scores, since the total number of roles and their distribution across states and metro areas are important practical factors.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators. Among states, New York has the highest opportunity score at 65.78, with a median salary of $70,800 and employment of 1,050. Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania all share the same projected growth rate of 4.3% but differ in pay and employment size, with Colorado offering a median salary of $82,590 and Virginia $79,530. Pennsylvania stands out for its employment level of 310 and median salary of $67,890, while Maryland combines a lower median salary of $58,890 with an opportunity score of 52.88. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA leads with an opportunity score of 77.42 and a median salary of $129,180, though employment is 130. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY-NJ area combines a high opportunity score of 77.27 with the largest metro employment at 600. Other strong metros include San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, each with distinct mixes of salary, employment, and opportunity score.
The typical education for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is a bachelor’s degree. This provides a foundation for the broad set of skills that are important in this field. Strong writing and reading skills, along with speaking and listening, support clear communication with all parties involved in disputes. Problem solving and decision making, critical and analytical thinking, and being detail oriented are central to analyzing information and reaching well-reasoned outcomes. Adaptability and creativity and innovation can help professionals navigate changing situations and consider multiple options. Interpersonal skills and customer service are key for working effectively with people who may be in conflict. Comfort with computers and information technology supports handling information and documentation. Together, this combination of education and skills forms a profile suited to a specialized role focused on structured, skill-intensive conflict resolution. Related career paths include administrative law judges and hearing officers, various psychology roles, and postsecondary teaching in law or political science.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
