Operations Research Analysts

Median salary

$88,940

Average salary

$99,730

Employment

108,510

Projected growth

21.5% growth

Annual openings

9,600

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

What Operations Research Analysts Do

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. May collect and analyze data and develop decision support software, services, or products. May develop and supply optimal time, cost, or logistics networks for program evaluation, review, or implementation.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 5 of 5

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mathematicsimportance 4.7/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.1/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.0/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.7/5
English Languageimportance 3.6/5
Designimportance 3.1/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.0/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9/5
E-Mail4.8/5
Spend Time Sitting4.4/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.3/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.2/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Statisticians98% skill match
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists97% skill match
Actuaries96% skill match
Economists96% skill match
Survey Researchers96% skill match
Mathematicians95% skill match
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists94% skill match
Atmospheric and Space Scientists94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.1/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.9/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.9/5
Systems Evaluationimportance 3.9/5
Operations Analysisimportance 3.8/5
Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Instructingimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

A mathematical programming language AMPL
Apache Pig
Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
Business Forecast Systems Forecast Pro
Cisco IOS
Citrix cloud computing software
Claritas PRIZM NE
Dassault Systemes CATIA

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Intellectual Curiosity
Attention to Detail
Achievement Orientation
Dependability
Innovation
Cautiousness
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

InvestigativeHigh
ConventionalHigh
EnterprisingMedium
ArtisticLow
SocialLow
RealisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where operations research analysts make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).