National salary
What is the average operations research analyst salary?
The BLS reports a $88,940 national median for operations research analysts in May 2025. The mean is $99,730, but the median is the more useful midpoint because it is less sensitive to a smaller number of very high wages.
BLS estimates 108,510 jobs in this occupation. The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is $57,060 to $159,910, a difference of $102,850. Employer, setting, specialty, location, and responsibility all sit inside that national range.
Percentiles describe where wages fall across the occupation. They do not assign a wage to a specific experience level.
What moves the number
What affects an operations research analyst salary?
Modeling depth
Optimization, simulation, forecasting, and data mining require different technical skill and project responsibility.
Decision impact
Work that shapes large budgets, mission resources, operations, or risk carries broader consequences.
Employer sector
Finance, consulting, management organizations, federal agencies, and manufacturing use different pay structures.
Education and communication
Graduate depth can matter for technical roles, while clear communication helps analysts move into larger decisions and leadership.
State comparison
Operations Research Analyst salary by state
The table pairs every state median below with its employment estimate. It is ordered by median salary, but the job count matters: a high figure based on a small occupational market describes a different opportunity than a similar figure supported by thousands of jobs.
The largest state employment estimates for operations research analysts are Texas (11,890 jobs), California (10,620 jobs), and Florida (9,120 jobs). Read those market sizes against the national estimate of 108,510 jobs before treating a state wage as a relocation signal.
| Rank | State | Median | 10th–90th percentile | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | $129,880 | $79,570–$182,530 | 770 |
| 2 | Virginia | $129,460 | $71,820–$194,260 | 6,980 |
| 3 | Alabama | $115,630 | $64,830–$173,910 | 550 |
| 4 | New York | $108,610 | $62,780–$175,800 | 5,890 |
| 5 | Ohio | $103,620 | $52,000–$142,080 | 2,600 |
| 6 | Idaho | $103,600 | $60,640–$138,510 | 500 |
| 7 | Oregon | $102,170 | $65,600–$145,710 | 2,710 |
| 8 | California | $102,100 | $65,510–$168,030 | 10,620 |
| 9 | Delaware | $101,070 | $62,510–$132,780 | 660 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $100,600 | $68,450–$156,210 | 120 |
| 11 | Maine | $99,460 | $66,520–$141,050 | 220 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $98,300 | $60,550–$149,760 | 330 |
| 13 | Washington | $98,030 | $68,580–$155,790 | 3,050 |
| 14 | Maryland | $97,410 | $55,880–$180,750 | 4,710 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $97,290 | $60,180–$130,980 | 2,520 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $96,700 | $61,300–$131,030 | 950 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $96,500 | $71,550–$146,000 | 4,200 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $96,030 | $65,550–$195,190 | 2,250 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $95,550 | $60,350–$133,170 | 1,240 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $92,310 | $59,830–$130,120 | 120 |
| 21 | Texas | $90,710 | $57,840–$164,570 | 11,890 |
| 22 | Utah | $90,200 | $57,990–$130,910 | 810 |
| 23 | Illinois | $89,800 | $62,500–$164,990 | 5,180 |
| 24 | Vermont | $89,790 | $65,100–$123,740 | 170 |
| 25 | Alaska | $88,750 | $50,230–$128,910 | 70 |
| 26 | Nevada | $86,500 | $65,210–$139,920 | 370 |
| 27 | Indiana | $85,280 | $59,850–$133,480 | 1,380 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $83,850 | $58,970–$129,860 | 660 |
| 29 | Michigan | $83,480 | $61,650–$139,880 | 980 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $82,460 | $57,930–$119,400 | 130 |
| 31 | Iowa | $80,580 | $47,520–$140,960 | 300 |
| 32 | Montana | $80,400 | $61,750–$99,930 | 150 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $80,360 | $49,940–$150,030 | 510 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $80,240 | $52,500–$125,700 | 1,380 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $79,640 | $55,220–$129,420 | 3,220 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $77,910 | $61,110–$183,030 | 360 |
| 37 | Florida | $77,600 | $46,340–$131,490 | 9,120 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $76,680 | $46,150–$125,480 | 1,200 |
| 39 | Georgia | $76,220 | $52,000–$132,610 | 4,600 |
| 40 | Arizona | $75,470 | $58,430–$124,230 | 2,600 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $71,820 | $50,380–$102,090 | 4,270 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $64,100 | $51,630–$96,500 | 200 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $63,210 | $49,940–$111,160 | 550 |
| 44 | Missouri | $62,380 | $49,180–$116,980 | 1,190 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $61,520 | $41,680–$88,280 | 1,840 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $59,030 | $47,350–$96,920 | 210 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment counts are estimates and may be rounded.
Degree context
How education connects to operations research analyst pay
Engineering and quantitative space operations programs can align when they include statistics, calculus, linear algebra, modeling, and computer science.
The job is not simply reporting what happened. Operations research asks what an organization should do next when time, cost, capacity, risk, and competing goals pull in different directions.
The wage percentiles do not separate workers by degree or experience. Use the education requirement to decide whether the route is open to you, then use the state and national wage distributions to understand the market rather than treating one percentile as a personal forecast.
Career guide See how to become an operations research analyst Adjacent route · Bachelor's degreeCommon questions
Operations Research Analyst salary FAQ
What is the median operations research analyst salary?
What is the national operations research analyst salary range?
How many operations research analysts does BLS count?
Does the 10th-percentile operations research analyst salary mean entry level?
What education do operations research analysts need?
Primary sources
Sources for operations research analyst salary data
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 for the national distribution, state wages, and employment estimates.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Operations Research Analysts for education, duties, and work-setting context.
Wage records and occupation facts reviewed August 28, 2026.