Uses tracking data, statistics, and models to help teams, leagues, and media make decisions about players, strategy, and fans. BLS does not publish separate figures for operations research analysts; it counts them within operations research analyst (SOC 15-2031), whose median pay is $88,940 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 15-2031
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Sports Data Analyst in four numbers
- Median pay
- $88,940a year, or $42.76/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $57KTop 10% $160K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +11.9%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+11.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +11.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,500113,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025113.1K
- Projected 2035126.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 113.1K Projected 2035 126.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's33.3%
- Post-bacc certificate9.5%
- Master's42.9%
- Doctorate14.3%
Highest education held by operations research analysts Segment Value Bachelor's 33.3% Post-bacc certificate 9.5% Master's 42.9% Doctorate 14.3%
Also advertised as: Sports Analytics Analyst, Baseball Operations Analyst, Basketball Analytics Analyst, Football Research Analyst, Sports Scientist (Analytics).
Pay
How much do Operations Research Analysts make?
Every sports data analyst in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$88,940
Middle half earn $68,360 to $125,990
- 10th
- $57,060
- 25th
- $68,360
- 75th
- $125,990
- 90th
- $159,910
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $57,060 |
| 25th | $68,360 |
| Median | $88,940 |
| 75th | $125,990 |
| 90th | $159,910 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $88,940
- Median hourly wage
- $42.76/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $99,730
- People employed
- 108,510
Versus all US occupations
At $88,940, Operations Research Analysts earn 74% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $37,960 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 24% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $159,910 or more while the bottom 10% earn $57,060, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 65% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Colorado posts the highest raw median ($129,880), but once local prices are taken into account Alabama leads at $130,180 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Operations Research Analysts the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Colorado | $129,880 | $126,033 | 770 |
| 2Virginia | $129,460 | $128,046 | 6,980 |
| 3Alabama | $115,630 | $130,180 | 550 |
| 4New York | $108,610 | $100,638 | 5,890 |
| 5Ohio | $103,620 | $111,691 | 2,600 |
| 6Idaho | $103,600 | $108,488 | 500 |
| 7Oregon | $102,170 | $98,848 | 2,710 |
| 8California | $102,100 | $92,215 | 10,620 |
| 9Delaware | $101,070 | $101,264 | 660 |
| 10Hawaii | $100,600 | $91,495 | 120 |
Job outlook
Is Sports Data Analyst a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +11.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Research Analysts | +11.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Operations Research Analysts to change 11.9% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.4× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 13,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,500 openings are projected each year, 6.6% of the 113,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Sports Data Analyst
Most analysts hold a bachelor's degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, economics, or data science, and many have a master's degree. Working knowledge of Python or R, SQL, and statistical modeling is expected. Universities including Syracuse University offer degrees in sports analytics.
Teams often hire people who have published independent work: public analyses, open-source projects, or entries in data competitions such as the NFL Big Data Bowl. The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) are common places to share research and meet hiring managers. Internships in baseball operations or basketball analytics departments are a standard first step.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as operations research analysts.
- Master's Degree42.9%
- Bachelor's Degree33.3%
- Doctoral Degree14.3%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 42.9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 33.3% |
| Doctoral Degree | 14.3% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 9.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Sports Data Analyst do?
Sports data analysts turn play-by-play logs, player tracking data, ball flight measurements, and wearable sensor data into decisions. On a team they build models that value players for the draft, trades, and contracts, prepare opponent tendencies for coaches, and estimate injury risk with the performance staff.
Outside teams, analysts work for leagues, sportsbooks, broadcasters, and data companies, building win probability models, betting lines, fantasy projections, and graphics for broadcasts. The work mixes programming, statistics, and communication: a good model only matters if a general manager or head coach trusts it enough to act.
Day-to-day tasks
- Build statistical models that project player performance and value
- Clean and maintain large tracking and play-by-play datasets
- Prepare opponent scouting and tendency reports for coaching staffs
- Create dashboards and visualizations for front office decision makers
- Evaluate draft prospects and free agents with quantitative methods
- Partner with performance staff to monitor workload and injury risk
- Present findings clearly to coaches and executives without technical backgrounds
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Analysts work in team front offices, league offices, and data companies, mostly at a computer. Many team roles follow the season, with long days around the draft, trade deadline, and playoffs, and some require travel with the team. Some media and betting roles are remote.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Mathematics4.5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning3.9
- Science3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Science | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Systems Analysis3.9
- Systems Evaluation3.9
- Operations Analysis3.8
- Coordination3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.9 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Sports Data Analyst?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICE) built on O*NET's Operations Research Analyst profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Sports Data Analyst |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative6.3
- Conventional5.8
- Enterprising3.7
- Artistic2.2
- Social2.0
- Realistic1.9
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Sports Data Analyst
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with operations research analysts highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Web Designer$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
- Sports Data Analyst$88,940
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
| Sports Data Analyst | $88,940 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Sports Data Analyst appears on
Questions
Sports Data Analyst: frequently asked questions
How much do Operations Research Analysts make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for operations research analysts. It counts them within operations research analyst, whose median pay is $88,940 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $68,360 and $125,990, and the top 10% earn $159,910 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Sports Data Analyst?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Operations Research Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 42.9% hold master's degree.
Is Sports Data Analyst a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 11.9% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Sports Data Analyst do?
Sports data analysts turn play-by-play logs, player tracking data, ball flight measurements, and wearable sensor data into decisions. A typical task: build statistical models that project player performance and value. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Operations Research Analysts the most?
The highest state medians for Operations Research Analysts are Colorado ($129,880), Virginia ($129,460), Alabama ($115,630) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alabama moves to the top at $130,180.
What personality type suits a Sports Data Analyst?
O*NET scores Operations Research Analysts highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.