Operations Research Analysts Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for operations research analysts in the U.S. is $88,940 ($42.76 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $88,940
- Mean annual wage
- $99,730
- Median hourly wage
- $42.76
- Employment
- 108,510
108,510 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,060 | $27.43 |
| 25th percentile | $68,360 | $32.86 |
| Median (50th) | $88,940 | $42.76 |
| 75th percentile | $125,990 | $60.57 |
| 90th percentile | $159,910 | $76.88 |
Highest-paying states for operations research analysts
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $129,880 | 770 |
| Virginia | $129,460 | 6,980 |
| Alabama | $115,630 | 550 |
| New York | $108,610 | 5,890 |
| Ohio | $103,620 | 2,600 |
| Idaho | $103,600 | 500 |
| Oregon | $102,170 | 2,710 |
| California | $102,100 | 10,620 |
| Delaware | $101,070 | 660 |
| Hawaii | $100,600 | 120 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $59,030 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $61,520 median annual wage
- Missouri: $62,380 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $63,210 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $64,100 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Specify manipulative or computational methods to be applied to models.
- Collaborate with senior managers and decision makers to identify and solve a variety of problems and to clarify management objectives.
- Break systems into their components, assign numerical values to each component, and examine the mathematical relationships between them.
- Develop and apply time and cost networks to plan, control, and review large projects.
- Analyze information obtained from management to conceptualize and define operational problems.
- Perform validation and testing of models to ensure adequacy, and reformulate models, as necessary.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 5.0% |
| Some college, no degree | 11.7% |
| Associate's degree | 5.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 43.9% |
| Master's degree | 28.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 4.8% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Software Developers$135,980
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- Computer Systems Analysts$105,850
- Computer Occupations, All Other$116,580
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators$99,130
- Data Scientists$120,230
- Information Security Analysts$129,180
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$104,300
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.