Operations Research Analysts

More data on this career

Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round operations research analysts ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $76,100 with a high school diploma or GED, $81,200 with some college or an associate's degree, $97,500 with a bachelor's degree and $118,800 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.

Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of operations research analysts work in Public Administration (50%), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (17%), Finance and Insurance (9%) and Manufacturing (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most operations research analysts are Management of Companies and Enterprises (10% of the jobs counted, median pay $97,610), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (10% of the jobs counted, median pay $86,500), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (9% of the jobs counted, median pay $100,590), Insurance Carriers (7% of the jobs counted, median pay $77,620) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Federal Executive Branch ($141,130), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services ($100,590), Scientific Research and Development Services ($100,000). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.

What workers studied. Among operations research analysts with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Business Management and Administration (8%), Computer Science (5%), General Business (5%) and Psychology (5%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).

Union membership. In the broad group "Computer and mathematical", which includes this career, 3.7% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,665 for union members and $2,045 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to operations research analysts.

Wages employers offered H-1B workers. For operations research analysts, employers filed 7,697 certified Labor Condition Applications for H-1B workers covering 11,658 worker positions in FY2025, with a median lower-bound wage offered of $120,000 (the middle half ran from $89,200 to $156,800) (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification). These are wages named in employers' applications to hire temporary foreign workers, usually in jobs that need at least a bachelor's degree. They are not what every worker in the occupation earns. The Department of Labor has not endorsed this presentation.

Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to operations research analysts, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).

Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for operations research analysts are: indoors, environmentally controlled (100%), e-mail (95%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (90%), spend time sitting (90%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (90%), importance of being exact or accurate (86%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (30% of 20 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (29% of 21 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (33% of 21 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to operations research analysts in the work done and the skills used: Data Scientists, Management Analysts, Software Developers, Database Architects, Computer Systems Analysts, Statisticians, Computer and Information Research Scientists, Business Intelligence Analysts (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Pay by state. See what operations research analysts earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Operations Research Analysts salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).

Compare operations research analysts with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →