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Role hub · Operations Research Analysts

Operations Research Analyst: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of operations research analysts earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$88,940
Hourly
$42.76
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Operations Research Analysts formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists management with decisionmaking, policy formulation, or other managerial functions. The median pay is $88,940 a year ($42.76 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a master's degree (43% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$88,940
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
108,510
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 5 of 5
extensive preparation
Most common education
Master's Degree
43% of workers
Key facts

Operations Research Analysts at a glance

  • Operations research analysts in the United States earned a median annual wage of $88,940 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for operations research analysts in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of operations research analysts in the United States to grow 11.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,500 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 108,510 people were employed as operations research analysts in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Operations Research Analysts

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The work

What operations research analysts do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Present the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
  2. Define data requirements, and gather and validate information, applying judgment and statistical tests.
  3. Perform validation and testing of models to ensure adequacy, and reformulate models, as necessary.
  4. Prepare management reports defining and evaluating problems and recommending solutions.
  5. Collaborate with others in the organization to ensure successful implementation of chosen problem solutions.
  6. Formulate mathematical or simulation models of problems, relating constants and variables, restrictions, alternatives, conflicting objectives, and their numerical parameters.
  7. Observe the current system in operation, and gather and analyze information about each of the component problems, using a variety of sources.
  8. Analyze information obtained from management to conceptualize and define operational problems.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all operations research analyst jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Professional, scientific, and technical services22.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +19.0% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $105,200
  2. Insurance carriers and related activities12.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +10.9% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $84,310
  3. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals12.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.9% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $106,320
  4. Credit intermediation and related activities11.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +12.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $100,150
  5. Management of companies and enterprises8.7% of all jobs in this occupation · +9.9% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $103,130
  6. Educational services; state, local, and private8.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +8.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $82,510

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

MathematicscoreComplex Problem SolvingcoreReading ComprehensioncoreActive ListeningWritingSpeakingCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingSystems Analysis

Knowledge areas: Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Engineering and Technology, Production and Processing, English Language, Design.

Tools and technology

Software operations research analysts use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Apache HadoopData base management system softwareHot technology
  • Apache HiveData base management system softwareHot technology
  • ESRI ArcGIS softwareGeographic information systemHot technology
  • Extensible markup language XMLEnterprise application integration softwareHot technology
  • GitHubApplication server softwareHot technology
  • IBM SPSS StatisticsAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
  • Marketo Marketing AutomationSales and marketing softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRSData base reporting softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft VisioProcess mapping and design softwareHot technology
  • SASAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
  • Splunk EnterpriseCloud-based management softwareHot technology
  • Teradata DatabaseData base management system softwareHot technology

Also called: Operation Research Analyst, Advanced Analytics Associate, Analytical Strategist, Decision Analyst, Operations Research Analyst (Ops Research Analyst), Operations Research Scientist (Ops Research Scientist), Optimization Analyst.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.