184 metro areas
Operations Research Analyst Salary by City (2026)
Operations research analysts earn the most in Colorado Springs, CO, an average of $136,780 a year, against $99,730 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Huntsville, AL ($140,670 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $99,730BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $136,780Colorado Springs, CO
- Best after cost of living
- $140,670Huntsville, AL
- Metro areas
- 184With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for operations research analysts
Top 10 metro areas
- Colorado Springs, CO$136,780
- Lexington Park, MD$135,050
- Huntsville, AL$130,920
- Denver, CO$129,810
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$129,170
- San Jose, CA$129,110
- Peoria, IL$125,940
- Dayton, OH$121,720
- San Francisco, CA$120,350
- Durham, NC$116,830
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | $136,780 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $135,050 |
| Huntsville, AL | $130,920 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $129,810 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $129,170 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,110 |
| Peoria, IL | $125,940 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $121,720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $120,350 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $116,830 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Huntsville, AL$130,920 nominal$140,670
- Peoria, IL$125,940 nominal$138,050
- Colorado Springs, CO$136,780 nominal$135,820
- Lexington Park, MD$135,050 nominal$134,030
- Dayton, OH$121,720 nominal$131,310
- Las Cruces, NM$112,820 nominal$125,060
- Denver, CO$129,810 nominal$122,710
- Durham, NC$116,830 nominal$119,740
- Virginia Beach, VA-NC$116,360 nominal$118,810
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$129,170 nominal$118,630
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | $140,670 |
| Peoria, IL | $138,050 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $135,820 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $134,030 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $131,310 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $125,060 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $122,710 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $119,740 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $118,810 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $118,630 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Operations Research Analyst salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Springs, CO | $136,780 | $97,090 | $156,310 | $135,820 |
| 2 | Lexington Park, MD | $135,050 | $89,480 | $157,480 | $134,030 |
| 3 | Huntsville, AL | $130,920 | $85,920 | $153,090 | $140,670 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $129,810 | $86,400 | $151,200 | $122,710 |
| 5 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $129,170 | $76,630 | $155,040 | $118,630 |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | $129,110 | $86,010 | $150,340 | $116,920 |
| 7 | Peoria, IL | $125,940 | $71,610 | $152,710 | $138,050 |
| 8 | Dayton, OH | $121,720 | $78,040 | $143,230 | $131,310 |
| 9 | San Francisco, CA | $120,350 | $79,270 | $140,590 | $104,100 |
| 10 | Durham, NC | $116,830 | $67,330 | $141,230 | $119,740 |
| 11 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $116,360 | $76,340 | $136,070 | $118,810 |
| 12 | Bakersfield, CA | $115,650 | $70,910 | $137,680 | $114,630 |
| 13 | Panama City, FL | $115,000 | $63,540 | $140,340 | $118,200 |
| 14 | Charlottesville, VA | $114,840 | $69,560 | $137,130 | $115,830 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $113,630 | $75,360 | $132,500 | $102,250 |
| 16 | Dallas, TX | $113,610 | $68,310 | $135,910 | $110,200 |
| 17 | New York, NY-NJ | $113,050 | $64,250 | $137,090 | $100,430 |
| 18 | York, PA | $113,010 | $73,550 | $132,450 | $117,720 |
| 19 | Las Cruces, NM | $112,820 | $70,910 | $133,470 | $125,060 |
| 20 | Sacramento, CA | $112,570 | $76,130 | $130,520 | $105,530 |
| 21 | Santa Maria, CA | $111,630 | $75,940 | $129,210 | $102,600 |
| 22 | Santa Cruz, CA | $111,070 | $72,970 | $129,850 | $101,070 |
| 23 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $110,200 | $71,320 | $129,330 | $99,310 |
| 24 | Bridgeport, CT | $109,200 | $81,850 | $122,680 | $102,190 |
| 25 | Crestview, FL | $108,870 | $66,580 | $129,690 | $112,200 |
| 26 | Buffalo, NY | $108,760 | $70,990 | $127,360 | $113,480 |
| 27 | San Diego, CA | $108,720 | $70,970 | $127,320 | $97,170 |
| 28 | Portland, OR-WA | $108,450 | $75,150 | $124,860 | $102,870 |
| 29 | Boston, MA-NH | $107,760 | $75,210 | $123,800 | $99,530 |
| 30 | Portland, ME | $107,520 | $71,240 | $125,400 | $105,560 |
| 31 | New Haven, CT | $107,490 | $73,300 | $124,340 | $102,800 |
| 32 | Santa Rosa, CA | $106,350 | $69,260 | $124,610 | $98,670 |
| 33 | Oxnard, CA | $106,140 | $70,490 | $123,720 | $96,020 |
| 34 | Ogden, UT | $106,100 | $72,800 | $122,490 | $105,730 |
| 35 | Richmond, VA | $105,790 | $60,240 | $128,230 | $108,110 |
| 36 | Wichita, KS | $104,940 | $78,420 | $118,020 | $117,980 |
| 37 | Los Angeles, CA | $104,580 | $66,370 | $123,410 | $92,090 |
| 38 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $104,540 | $67,500 | $122,800 | $107,390 |
| 39 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $104,440 | $61,400 | $125,630 | $109,510 |
| 40 | Fresno, CA | $104,330 | $71,510 | $120,490 | $102,130 |
| 41 | Baltimore, MD | $104,190 | $59,220 | $126,340 | $99,720 |
| 42 | Omaha, NE-IA | $104,000 | $65,500 | $122,970 | $113,150 |
| 43 | Charleston, SC | $103,110 | $73,570 | $117,640 | $102,130 |
| 44 | Norwich, CT | $102,880 | $74,650 | $116,770 | $102,420 |
| 45 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $102,750 | $69,410 | $119,180 | $100,190 |
| 46 | Salinas, CA | $102,420 | $66,290 | $120,220 | $93,930 |
| 47 | Corvallis, OR | $101,570 | $71,510 | $116,380 | $97,650 |
| 48 | Warner Robins, GA | $101,420 | $79,580 | $112,170 | $108,140 |
| 49 | Roanoke, VA | $101,230 | $65,770 | $118,730 | $108,130 |
| 50 | Akron, OH | $100,280 | $60,690 | $119,770 | $107,400 |
| 51 | Las Vegas, NV | $100,090 | $71,010 | $114,400 | $99,880 |
| 52 | Chicago, IL-IN | $99,720 | $66,890 | $115,880 | $96,260 |
| 53 | Boise City, ID | $99,650 | $64,690 | $116,880 | $101,280 |
| 54 | Palm Bay, FL | $99,070 | $56,390 | $120,080 | $99,070 |
| 55 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $99,010 | $68,240 | $114,150 | $94,460 |
| 56 | Houston, TX | $98,820 | $63,710 | $116,130 | $100,190 |
| 57 | Indianapolis, IN | $98,590 | $63,070 | $116,110 | $103,020 |
| 58 | Columbus, OH | $98,380 | $54,410 | $120,040 | $103,050 |
| 59 | Austin, TX | $98,030 | $68,180 | $112,720 | $99,960 |
| 60 | Cleveland, OH | $97,860 | $59,740 | $116,650 | $104,190 |
| 61 | Detroit, MI | $97,590 | $68,270 | $112,030 | $97,300 |
| 62 | Grand Rapids, MI | $96,720 | $68,200 | $110,760 | $101,230 |
| 63 | Hartford, CT | $96,470 | $69,950 | $109,530 | $93,890 |
| 64 | Salem, OR | $96,080 | $71,140 | $108,350 | $92,700 |
| 65 | Worcester, MA | $96,010 | $68,930 | $109,370 | $93,650 |
| 66 | Rochester, NY | $95,430 | $61,860 | $111,970 | $98,350 |
| 67 | Raleigh, NC | $94,760 | $59,820 | $111,970 | $96,540 |
| 68 | Birmingham, AL | $94,680 | $60,420 | $111,550 | $103,310 |
| 69 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $94,270 | $56,530 | $112,860 | $102,270 |
| 70 | Des Moines, IA | $94,080 | $53,790 | $113,920 | $102,590 |
| 71 | New Orleans, LA | $94,000 | $63,190 | $109,180 | $101,520 |
| 72 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $93,790 | $59,400 | $110,720 | $101,350 |
| 73 | Reno, NV | $93,450 | $64,000 | $107,970 | $92,510 |
| 74 | Riverside, CA | $93,270 | $60,070 | $109,620 | $87,630 |
| 75 | Lincoln, NE | $93,250 | $60,170 | $109,530 | $101,820 |
| 76 | Vallejo, CA | $92,390 | $63,770 | $106,520 | $85,170 |
| 77 | Tucson, AZ | $92,370 | $60,820 | $107,910 | $95,330 |
| 78 | Salt Lake City, UT | $91,870 | $62,440 | $106,390 | $91,080 |
| 79 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $91,810 | $63,540 | $105,730 | $91,840 |
| 80 | Syracuse, NY | $91,500 | $61,760 | $106,160 | $95,570 |
| 81 | Bend, OR | $91,330 | $65,100 | $104,250 | $88,150 |
| 82 | Albuquerque, NM | $91,040 | $55,660 | $108,450 | $95,280 |
| 83 | Lansing, MI | $90,980 | $71,220 | $100,710 | $95,780 |
| 84 | Killeen, TX | $90,900 | $54,660 | $108,740 | $99,750 |
| 85 | Midland, TX | $90,810 | $59,130 | $106,410 | $94,810 |
| 86 | Ann Arbor, MI | $90,710 | $64,110 | $103,810 | $89,920 |
| 87 | Provo, UT | $90,500 | $54,120 | $108,430 | $92,130 |
| 88 | Providence, RI-MA | $90,330 | $61,150 | $104,710 | $88,760 |
| 89 | Toledo, OH | $90,290 | $60,720 | $104,870 | $98,730 |
| 90 | Fargo, ND-MN | $90,250 | $65,230 | $102,590 | $99,320 |
| 91 | Waco, TX | $90,210 | $54,160 | $107,970 | $97,470 |
| 92 | Utica, NY | $90,040 | $57,870 | $105,910 | $97,150 |
| 93 | Lancaster, PA | $90,000 | $56,950 | $106,290 | $91,600 |
| 94 | Spartanburg, SC | $89,980 | $65,080 | $102,250 | $98,820 |
| 95 | Stockton, CA | $89,750 | $55,560 | $106,580 | $85,400 |
| 96 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $89,560 | $62,030 | $103,130 | $81,850 |
| 97 | Winston, NC | $89,190 | $61,320 | $102,920 | $96,900 |
| 98 | Augusta, GA-SC | $89,040 | $54,950 | $105,830 | $96,880 |
| 99 | North Port, FL | $88,980 | $54,580 | $105,930 | $86,880 |
| 100 | Burlington, VT | $88,840 | $69,950 | $98,130 | $88,000 |
| 101 | Spokane, WA | $88,820 | $66,210 | $99,960 | $88,510 |
| 102 | Cape Coral, FL | $88,630 | $48,150 | $108,560 | $86,600 |
| 103 | Olympia, WA | $87,840 | $68,760 | $97,240 | $84,730 |
| 104 | Tampa, FL | $87,730 | $54,930 | $103,880 | $86,960 |
| 105 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $87,510 | $64,480 | $98,860 | $94,020 |
| 106 | Greensboro, NC | $87,420 | $60,090 | $100,900 | $94,140 |
| 107 | Pittsburgh, PA | $87,380 | $57,890 | $101,900 | $92,300 |
| 108 | Atlanta, GA | $87,300 | $55,000 | $103,190 | $87,250 |
| 109 | Albany, NY | $87,240 | $61,280 | $100,030 | $87,620 |
| 110 | Harrisburg, PA | $86,860 | $64,710 | $97,760 | $88,050 |
| 111 | Jacksonville, FL | $86,780 | $55,700 | $102,090 | $87,230 |
| 112 | Eugene, OR | $86,720 | $59,470 | $100,130 | $85,380 |
| 113 | Naples, FL | $86,570 | $53,140 | $103,020 | $83,890 |
| 114 | El Paso, TX | $86,470 | $57,990 | $100,510 | $96,170 |
| 115 | Montgomery, AL | $85,900 | $61,340 | $98,030 | $95,780 |
| 116 | Beaumont, TX | $85,280 | $61,550 | $96,970 | $94,710 |
| 117 | Phoenix, AZ | $85,280 | $57,990 | $98,740 | $82,540 |
| 118 | Lawrence, KS | $85,110 | $72,530 | $91,310 | $94,310 |
| 119 | Visalia, CA | $84,510 | $69,430 | $91,940 | $84,660 |
| 120 | Abilene, TX | $83,890 | $55,390 | $97,930 | $92,840 |
| 121 | Lafayette, IN | $83,840 | $61,550 | $94,830 | $89,740 |
| 122 | Orlando, FL | $83,620 | $50,790 | $99,780 | $82,450 |
| 123 | San Antonio, TX | $83,470 | $55,830 | $97,090 | $88,130 |
| 124 | Bloomington, IL | $83,370 | $51,520 | $99,030 | $89,130 |
| 125 | McAllen, TX | $82,970 | $53,640 | $97,410 | $96,590 |
| 126 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $82,830 | $52,230 | $97,910 | $82,640 |
| 127 | Nashville, TN | $81,950 | $49,190 | $98,070 | $85,070 |
| 128 | Miami, FL | $81,350 | $50,540 | $96,510 | $71,260 |
| 129 | Waterbury, CT | $81,240 | $60,510 | $91,460 | $81,420 |
| 130 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $80,970 | $43,370 | $99,490 | $85,980 |
| 131 | Modesto, CA | $80,700 | $58,140 | $91,830 | $77,520 |
| 132 | Tyler, TX | $80,640 | $57,490 | $92,060 | $87,500 |
| 133 | Pensacola, FL | $80,390 | $52,120 | $94,310 | $82,270 |
| 134 | Lakeland, FL | $80,310 | $45,470 | $97,470 | $82,670 |
| 135 | Lexington, KY | $80,230 | $59,650 | $90,330 | $86,370 |
| 136 | Lubbock, TX | $80,040 | $58,590 | $90,580 | $87,650 |
| 137 | Savannah, GA | $79,810 | $52,600 | $93,230 | $83,830 |
| 138 | Gainesville, FL | $79,480 | $47,030 | $95,470 | $82,160 |
| 139 | Greenville, SC | $79,230 | $53,930 | $91,670 | $84,960 |
| 140 | Sheboygan, WI | $79,120 | $56,910 | $90,060 | $84,160 |
| 141 | Tulsa, OK | $79,100 | $62,000 | $87,510 | $88,660 |
| 142 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $79,060 | $50,460 | $93,160 | $83,140 |
| 143 | Amherst Town, MA | $78,940 | $61,170 | $87,670 | $78,750 |
| 144 | Columbia, SC | $78,850 | $53,040 | $91,560 | $84,190 |
| 145 | Medford, OR | $78,750 | $58,880 | $88,520 | $77,640 |
| 146 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $78,330 | $57,550 | $88,570 | $88,050 |
| 147 | Salisbury, MD | $78,060 | $54,020 | $89,900 | $81,640 |
| 148 | Springfield, MA | $77,980 | $57,370 | $88,150 | $81,180 |
| 149 | Helena, MT | $77,920 | $63,860 | $84,840 | $81,440 |
| 150 | Madison, WI | $77,480 | $54,600 | $88,770 | $79,640 |
| 151 | Milwaukee, WI | $76,940 | $55,290 | $87,590 | $79,370 |
| 152 | Fort Wayne, IN | $76,860 | $58,450 | $85,900 | $83,030 |
| 153 | College Station, TX | $76,560 | $58,990 | $85,200 | $84,180 |
| 154 | Springfield, IL | $76,440 | $42,410 | $93,200 | $82,420 |
| 155 | Columbus, GA-AL | $76,020 | $54,100 | $86,820 | $85,130 |
| 156 | Amarillo, TX | $75,150 | $54,160 | $85,470 | $81,840 |
| 157 | Santa Fe, NM | $75,150 | $60,760 | $82,260 | $76,090 |
| 158 | Brownsville, TX | $74,300 | $48,760 | $86,880 | $86,420 |
| 159 | Ocala, FL | $72,740 | $44,240 | $86,780 | $76,380 |
| 160 | Oshkosh, WI | $72,510 | $57,780 | $79,770 | $78,030 |
| 161 | Appleton, WI | $72,430 | $53,140 | $81,930 | $78,370 |
| 162 | Green Bay, WI | $72,430 | $56,660 | $80,200 | $77,810 |
| 163 | Wausau, WI | $71,610 | $54,450 | $80,060 | $77,290 |
| 164 | Deltona, FL | $70,990 | $43,600 | $84,490 | $71,440 |
| 165 | Fayetteville, AR | $70,550 | $47,570 | $81,890 | $77,230 |
| 166 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $70,430 | $44,840 | $83,030 | $77,000 |
| 167 | La Crosse, WI-MN | $70,370 | $53,520 | $78,690 | $76,680 |
| 168 | San Juan, PR | $70,370 | $47,220 | $81,760 | N/A |
| 169 | Prescott Valley, AZ | $68,270 | $62,860 | $70,950 | $69,480 |
| 170 | Kenosha, WI | $68,080 | $49,590 | $77,170 | $67,330 |
| 171 | Janesville, WI | $68,040 | $49,750 | $77,040 | $72,610 |
| 172 | Charleston, WV | $67,520 | $53,680 | $74,340 | $76,110 |
| 173 | Racine, WI | $67,230 | $51,190 | $75,130 | $70,060 |
| 174 | Topeka, KS | $66,870 | $49,840 | $75,280 | $75,290 |
| 175 | Baton Rouge, LA | $66,520 | $49,550 | $74,880 | $73,280 |
| 176 | Eau Claire, WI | $66,310 | $48,070 | $75,300 | $71,460 |
| 177 | Scranton, PA | $65,420 | $51,960 | $72,050 | $69,930 |
| 178 | Springfield, OH | $65,170 | $45,820 | $74,710 | $72,030 |
| 179 | Little Rock, AR | $64,980 | $46,470 | $74,090 | $72,710 |
| 180 | Columbia, MO | $64,880 | $50,270 | $72,070 | $72,540 |
| 181 | Athens, GA | $64,130 | $43,990 | $74,050 | $68,700 |
| 182 | Oklahoma City, OK | $61,880 | $43,910 | $70,720 | $68,450 |
| 183 | Macon, GA | $61,170 | $43,850 | $69,720 | $69,100 |
| 184 | Tallahassee, FL | $52,520 | $38,630 | $59,360 | $55,920 |
More
More on operations research analysts
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Operations Research Analyst salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays operations research analysts the most?
Colorado Springs, CO, where the average (mean) wage is $136,780 a year, followed by Lexington Park, MD ($135,050), Huntsville, AL ($130,920), Denver, CO ($129,810). The national mean is $99,730 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do operations research analysts earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Huntsville, AL ($140,670 at national prices, $130,920 nominal), Peoria, IL ($138,050 at national prices, $125,940 nominal), Colorado Springs, CO ($135,820 at national prices, $136,780 nominal).
How much do operations research analysts make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $113,050; Los Angeles, CA: $104,580; Chicago, IL-IN: $99,720; Dallas, TX: $113,610; Houston, TX: $98,820 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do operations research analysts earn the least?
Of the 184 metro areas with their own estimate, Tallahassee, FL has the lowest mean wage, $52,520. At local prices that is worth $55,920.