Operations research analysts: pay, outlook and skills
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.
Pay distribution and location comparison
These are published pay distribution points for everyone working in this occupation, not pay levels for junior, mid, or senior roles. Location figures are pay as published; no cost-of-living adjustment is applied.
United States, all industries
| Pay point | United States | Selected area |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,060 | - |
| 25th percentile | $68,360 | - |
| Median | $88,940 | - |
| 75th percentile | $125,990 | - |
| 90th percentile | $159,910 | - |
| People employed | 108,510 | - |
Source: OEWS May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file Reference period: OEWS May 2025.
Long-term outlook
Official ten-year projection for 2025 to 2035. Projected annual openings are an average per year over the decade, including openings from workers leaving the occupation. They are not a count of jobs open today.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file Employment is published in thousands of jobs and converted here to people.
OptimizeResume analysis using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is not a BLS statistic or a prediction that an individual will be hired.
Score trend
Historical scores may be restated when BLS revises underlying data. The chart uses the latest restated values.
Confidence
- At least 90% of required inputs and occupation-industry mapping are covered.
How this score is built
Monthly industry demand is mapped to this occupation using official occupation-industry relationships, then combined with occupation fundamentals and long-term projections.
Read Methodology v1.0Skills, software, and day-to-day work
Skill values are O*NET importance ratings on a 1-5 scale for the occupation itself. They describe what the work requires, not how much employers are hiring right now.
Most important skills
- Mathematics4.5 / 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.1 / 5
- Active Listening4.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
- Speaking4.0 / 5
- Writing4.0 / 5
- Active Learning3.9 / 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9 / 5
- Systems Analysis3.9 / 5
- Systems Evaluation3.9 / 5
- Operations Analysis3.8 / 5
O*NET importance rating, 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Software and technology
- Object or component oriented development softwarePython (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), C++ (hot technology), Perl (hot technology), R (hot technology), Scala (hot technology), Swift (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query softwareStructured query language SQL (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), Amazon Redshift (hot technology), Microsoft Access (hot technology), Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology), MySQL (hot technology), Data entry software
- Business intelligence and data analysis softwareMicrosoft Power BI (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), Tableau (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), IBM Cognos Impromptu, MicroStrategy, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, Qlik Tech QlikView
- Customer relationship management CRM softwareSalesforce software (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge, Oracle Eloqua
- Electronic mail softwareMicrosoft Outlook (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), IBM Notes, Microsoft Exchange
- Presentation softwareMicrosoft PowerPoint (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology), Google Slides
- Spreadsheet softwareMicrosoft Excel (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology)
- Office suite softwareMicrosoft Office software (in demand for this occupation) (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific softwareIBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology), SAS (hot technology), The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology), A mathematical programming language AMPL, Claritas PRIZM NE, General algebraic modeling system GAMS
- Operating system softwareApple macOS (hot technology), Bash (hot technology), Linux (hot technology), Shell script (hot technology), UNIX (hot technology), UNIX Shell (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP softwareOracle PeopleSoft (hot technology), SAP software (hot technology), Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite ERP, Oracle Hyperion, Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- Development environment softwareC (hot technology), Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology), Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA (hot technology), Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript, National Instruments LabVIEW
O*NET marks individual examples only. “Hot technology” means the tool is frequently named across job postings generally; “in demand for this occupation” means O*NET recorded it as required by employers for this occupation. Unmarked examples are still commonly used.
Typical tasks
- Present the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
- Define data requirements, and gather and validate information, applying judgment and statistical tests.
- Perform validation and testing of models to ensure adequacy, and reformulate models, as necessary.
- Prepare management reports defining and evaluating problems and recommending solutions.
- 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.
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.
Check your resume against a real job posting
This page describes the occupation in general. A free scan compares your own resume with the specific job description you are applying to, requirement by requirement, and shows where your real experience is already strong and where it is simply not documented yet. Only experience you actually have should ever be added.
Scan my resume freeSource: O*NET Database version 31.0 by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Used under CC BY 4.0. OptimizeResume has modified the data for display only: selected the most important rated skills, grouped software examples by category while keeping each example’s official flags, and shortened the task list.
Guides for applying to this work
Sources and how to read this page
Source: OEWS May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (imported 9/17/2026) official file
O*NET 31.0 Database version 31.0 by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0 and modified for display on this page. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
How each number should be read
- Pay percentiles describe the spread of pay across everyone in the occupation, not experience levels.
- Employment counts are jobs, not people hired during the year.
- Projected annual openings are a decade average from the official projection, not current vacancies.
- O*NET skill ratings describe the work, not employer hiring demand.
- Values BLS did not publish, suppressed, or top-coded are shown as such and never treated as zero.