Also called: Dispute Resolution Specialist, Conciliator
Helps people in a conflict talk it out and reach their own agreement without going to trial.
Mediators sit with two sides, often in separate rooms, shuttling offers back and forth. A divorce mediator might help parents agree on a custody schedule; a business mediator might settle a $5 million contract fight. Patience and listening are the core skills.
Retired judges acting as private mediators can bill $500+ per hour.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's plus mediation training (40+ hours); many mediators are lawyers or retired judges.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Conflict Resolution, Psychology, Communications, Sociology.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators (approx.).
Low risk for 10 years. AI tools may suggest settlement ranges; calming angry people, building trust and guiding agreement stay deeply human.
Classes: Psychology, Speech and debate, Sociology, AP English Language.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-1022.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.