Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators vs Judicial Law Clerks: $76K vs $65K Median Pay

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators vs Judicial Law Clerks: what changes?

Consider Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators if you want to facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Consider Judicial Law Clerks if you would rather assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents. Entry credentials differ: Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators, bachelor's degree; Judicial Law Clerks, doctoral or professional degree. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators and Judicial Law Clerks. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

National median pay (2025): $75,530
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Prepare written opinions or decisions regarding cases.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 300

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators brief

Judicial Law Clerks

National median pay (2025): $64,920
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,500

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (14,000 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Judicial Law Clerks brief

How the national numbers differ

Judicial Law Clerks has the edge on annual openings

Judicial Law Clerks is at 1,500 annual openings, compared with 300 annual openings for Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators.

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators has the edge on projected growth

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators is at 4.7% projected growth, compared with 2.8% projected growth for Judicial Law Clerks.

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators has the edge on median pay

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators is at $75,530, compared with $64,920 for Judicial Law Clerks.

39.4/ 100

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

38.9/ 100

Judicial Law Clerks

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators vs Judicial Law Clerks

Dimension	Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators	Judicial Law Clerks
Median pay (2025)	$75,530	$64,920
Pay percentile	65.6 percentile	56.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	4.7%	2.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	300	1,500
2025 employment	10,500	14,000
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	Doctoral or professional degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators brief Read Judicial Law Clerks brief

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators vs Judicial Law Clerks: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

Judicial Law Clerks

How the national numbers differ

Judicial Law Clerks has the edge on annual openings

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators has the edge on projected growth

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators has the edge on median pay

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators vs Judicial Law Clerks

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