---
title: "Operations Research Analyst"
description: "Formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists management with decisionmaking…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/operations-research-analyst"
last-updated: "2026-10-09T10:57:55.138Z"
---

# Operations Research Analyst

**Category:** Computer and Mathematical · **SOC code:** 15-2031 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 15-2031.00

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.

Also advertised as: Advanced Analytics Associate; Analytical Strategist; Decision Analyst; Operations Research Analyst (Ops Research Analyst); Operations Research Scientist (Ops Research Scientist); Optimization Analyst; Researcher.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $88,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $42.76/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $57,060 to $159,910, with the middle half between $68,360 and $125,990
- **Total US employment:** 108,510
- **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's
- **Preparation required:** Considerable preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +11.9% over 2025–2035 (BLS EP, 2025–2035)
- **Annual job openings:** 7,500 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 17/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 108,510 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $57,060 |
| 25th | $68,360 |
| 50th (median) | $88,940 |
| 75th | $125,990 |
| 90th | $159,910 |
| Mean (average) | $99,730 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CO | $129,880 | $126,033 | 770 |
| VA | $129,460 | $128,046 | 6,980 |
| AL | $115,630 | $130,180 | 550 |
| NY | $108,610 | $100,638 | 5,890 |
| OH | $103,620 | $111,691 | 2,600 |
| ID | $103,600 | $108,488 | 500 |
| OR | $102,170 | $98,848 | 2,710 |
| CA | $102,100 | $92,215 | 10,620 |
| DE | $101,070 | $101,264 | 660 |
| HI | $100,600 | $91,495 | 120 |
| ME | $99,460 | $102,483 | 220 |
| NE | $98,300 | $109,097 | 330 |
| WA | $98,030 | $91,606 | 3,050 |
| MD | $97,410 | $92,808 | 4,710 |
| NC | $97,290 | $103,142 | 2,520 |

33 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 48 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/operations-research-analyst/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/operations-research-analyst.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 113,100 in the 2025–2035 base year to 126,600 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 13,500 jobs, or +11.9%. Much faster than average: 11.9% against 3.5% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 7,500 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's degree (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Considerable preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** None.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| Master's Degree | 42.9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 33.3% |
| Doctoral Degree | 14.3% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 9.5% |

## What the work involves

- Present the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
- Perform validation and testing of models to ensure adequacy, and reformulate models, as necessary.
- Collaborate with others in the organization to ensure successful implementation of chosen problem solutions.
- Formulate mathematical or simulation models of problems, relating constants and variables, restrictions, alternatives, conflicting objectives, and their numerical parameters.
- Observe the current system in operation, and gather and analyze information about each of the component problems, using a variety of sources.
- Analyze information obtained from management to conceptualize and define operational problems.
- Study and analyze information about alternative courses of action to determine which plan will offer the best outcomes.
- Collaborate with senior managers and decision makers to identify and solve a variety of problems and to clarify management objectives.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Mathematics — importance 4.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Reading Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Science — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Complex Problem Solving — importance 4.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Analysis — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Evaluation — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operations Analysis — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Coordination — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Time Management — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Instructing — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Mathematics — importance 4.7 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Computers and Electronics — importance 4.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Engineering and Technology — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Production and Processing — importance 3.7 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Design — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Mathematical Reasoning — importance 4.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Deductive Reasoning — importance 4.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Inductive Reasoning — importance 4.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Written Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Expression — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Investigative (I), Conventional (C), Enterprising (E).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| I — Investigative | 6.26 |
| C — Conventional | 5.76 |
| E — Enterprising | 3.14 |
| A — Artistic | 2.18 |
| S — Social | 2.02 |
| R — Realistic | 1.90 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| INTJ | 78.3 |
| ISTJ | 75.5 |
| ENTJ | 63.4 |
| ESTJ | 62.9 |
| ISTP | 60.9 |

Best-fitting types: INTJ, ISTJ. The bank also flags this occupation as introvert-friendly, meaning O\*NET work-context ratings put it low on public contact and performing for the public.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Data Scientist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/data-scientist) — median $120,230
- [Management Analyst](https://nuecareer.com/careers/management-analyst) — median $101,860
- [Software Developer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/software-developer) — median $135,980
- [Database Architect](https://nuecareer.com/careers/database-architect) — median $139,500
- [Computer Systems Analyst](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-systems-analyst) — median $105,850
- [Statistician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/statistician) — median $105,650
- [Computer and Information Research Scientist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-and-information-research-scientist) — median $140,300
- [Business Intelligence Analyst](https://nuecareer.com/careers/business-intelligence-analyst) — median $120,230
- [Computer Systems Engineers/Architect](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-systems-engineers-architect) — median $116,580
- [Mathematician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/mathematician) — median $126,710

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 31.0 Database, August 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/operations-research-analyst