Average Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators is $75,530 per year. The middle 50% earn between $57,360 and $108,000, with 9,210 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 25 states and 35 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $47,220
- 25th
- $57,360
- Median
- $75,530
- 75th
- $108,000
- 90th
- $155,440
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +4.3%
- 400 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 300
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators.
Where Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Illinois at $162,410, about 115.0% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $129,180.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $162,410 | 80 |
| District of Columbia | $110,300 | 150 |
| New Mexico | $110,180 | 40 |
| California | $97,680 | N/A |
| Colorado | $82,590 | 30 |
| Arizona | $82,150 | 160 |
| Virginia | $79,530 | 120 |
| Alabama | $76,810 | 40 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,180 | 130 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $112,620 | 60 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $109,920 | 190 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $108,570 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $108,150 | 200 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $106,910 | 100 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $105,430 | 50 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $105,190 | 30 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators rose from $63,930 to $75,530, a gain of +18.1% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $63,930 would need to be worth $80,506 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $75,530 is −$4,976 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -6.2% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 18.1% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +18.1%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -6.2%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $75,530
- 2024
- $67,710
- 2023
- $71,540
- 2022
- $64,030
- 2021
- $49,410
- 2020
- $66,130
- 2019
- $63,930
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Judicial Law Clerks
- $64,920
- Lawyers
- $159,670
- Legal Support Workers, All Other
- $72,110
- Paralegals And Legal Assistants
- $62,890
Common salary questions for Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Arbitrators, Mediators, And Conciliators workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.