Occupation salary profile

Operations Research Analysts

SOC 15-2031 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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.

National median · BLS
$88,940
▼ -2.57% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$120,936
▼ -3.25% YoY · 6,580 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$99,730
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
108,510
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Operations Research Analysts

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 6,580 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$57,060$72,000
25th$68,360$89,190
Median (50th)$88,940$120,936
75th$125,990$160,000
90th — top pay$159,910$199,110
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $120,936 for Operations Research Analysts — 36% above the BLS national median of $88,940.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Operations Research Analysts

BLS projects employment of operations research analysts to grow 11.9% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 7,500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
113,100 → 126,600
+13,500 jobs
Projected change
+11.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
7,500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $120,936
Change vs prior year -3.25%
After inflation (CPI-U) -6.19%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 1,162 17.7% $67,600 $75,000 $85,489
Level II 2,408 36.6% $89,190 $107,453 $142,545
Level III 1,619 24.6% $114,670 $133,963 $163,550
Level IV 1,346 20.5% $142,800 $168,532 $207,244
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Operations Research Analysts

The 50 most-filed job titles inside SOC 15-2031, from 6,580 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Operations Research Analyst 513 7.8% $72,000 $101,700 $175,000 -28.65%
Consultant generic 246 3.74% $80,059 $103,536 $139,744 -3.79%
Manager generic 239 3.63% $119,371 $153,683 $199,310 -1.03%
Associate generic 208 3.16% $102,375 $144,500 $178,500 +5.67%
Business Analyst 190 2.89% $78,000 $88,005 $104,000 -3.58%
Program Manager 171 2.6% $101,400 $115,600 $143,000 -2.2%
Data Scientist 161 2.45% $115,000 $141,875 $160,197 +0.99%
Data Analyst 147 2.23% $77,750 $92,400 $115,000 -0.87%
Product Manager 126 1.91% $140,400 $161,376 $191,850 +7.8%
Operations Analyst 81 1.23% $66,789 $70,990 $85,000 -11.26%
Analyst generic 69 1.05% $80,000 $94,500 $115,000 -3.57%
Quantitative Researcher 65 0.99% $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 -9.09%
Advanced Business Analyst 60 0.91% $93,472 $102,253 $112,959 -0.99%
Data Engineering Analyst 44 0.67% $135,000 $150,000 $161,250 +0%
Decision Analytics Consultant 41 0.62% $164,600 $172,400 $180,800 +1.41%
Lead Analyst 40 0.61% $84,125 $100,402 $110,807 -13.34%
Lead Analytics Consultant 37 0.56% $147,500 $167,000 $188,000 -4.57%
Director generic 31 0.47% $202,250 $219,000 $260,000 +7.09%
Operation Research Analyst 31 0.47% $71,000 $80,000 $161,954 -2.44%
Fraud and Risk Analyst 30 0.46% $141,261 $148,380 $148,380 +5.7%
Data Engineer 30 0.46% $93,537 $127,670 $179,775 +21.09%
Research Analyst 30 0.46% $66,570 $78,750 $89,650 -2.66%
Vice President Quantitative Finance Analyst 30 0.46% $145,250 $160,000 $175,000 +6.67%
Operations Manager 28 0.43% $89,803 $112,200 $142,492 +10.6%
Data Science Analyst 25 0.38% $135,000 $150,000 $157,000 +7.95%
Solution Specialist 25 0.38% $95,264 $109,600 $123,400 -1.7%
Staff Data Scientist 24 0.36% $172,432 $180,508 $180,508 +0.56%
Vice President generic 23 0.35% $111,000 $152,000 $215,125 -27.62%
Operations Associate 23 0.35% $82,784 $82,784 $95,000 +3.48%
Business Systems Analyst 23 0.35% $86,166 $107,016 $131,737 +6.43%
Business Operations Analyst 23 0.35% $74,905 $100,000 $127,500 -5.63%
Principal Consultant 22 0.33% $116,250 $130,000 $148,835 -2.12%
Analytics Consultant 22 0.33% $110,000 $127,500 $144,500 +6.25%
Product Analyst 22 0.33% $82,784 $92,000 $113,502 -11.59%
Lead Data Engineering Analyst 22 0.33% $160,000 $180,000 $199,250 -2.7%
Sales Operations 22 0.33% $104,750 $125,850 $146,125 -0.51%
Technical Business Developer 21 0.32% $147,900 $152,700 $162,700 -4.77%
Product Manager Technical 20 0.3% $152,200 $180,300 $184,140 +8.39%
Decision Analytics Manager 20 0.3% $211,450 $219,850 $230,450 -1.01%
Decision Analytics Associate Consultant 19 0.29% $129,350 $137,000 $142,150 +3.24%
Risk Manager 18 0.27% $101,850 $113,000 $123,380 +4.81%
Project Delivery Specialist 17 0.26% $89,190 $121,250 $132,400 +1.46%
Quantitative Research Analyst 16 0.24% $193,750 $237,500 $275,000 -6.86%
Operations Research Scientist 16 0.24% $124,714 $137,738 $153,600 —
Analyst/Sr Analyst 16 0.24% $81,557 $81,557 $89,000 -6.42%
Staff Fraud and Risk Analyst 15 0.23% $170,895 $173,736 $175,624 +5.29%
Lead Data Scientist 15 0.23% $118,878 $164,800 $185,689 +30.18%
Sales Operations Analyst 15 0.23% $88,200 $125,000 $134,724 +46.68%
Assistant Vice President Quantitative Finance Analyst 15 0.23% $129,388 $135,000 $142,500 +0%
Tech Business Developer 14 0.21% $147,225 $165,170 $179,000 +4.54%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Operations Research Analysts

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Mathematics4.5
  • Complex Problem Solving4.1
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Active Learning3.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.9
  • Systems Analysis3.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Mathematics4.7
  • Computers and Electronics4.1
  • Engineering and Technology4.0
  • Production and Processing3.7
  • English Language3.6
  • Design3.1
  • Education and Training3.0
  • Administration and Management2.8
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Power BIMicrosoft PowerPointPythonSalesforce softwareStructured query language SQLTableauAmazon RedshiftApache HadoopApache HiveApple macOSBashCC++ESRI ArcGIS softwareExtensible markup language XML

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What operations research analysts do

  • 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.
Also called
Analytical StrategistOperations Research Analyst (Ops Research Analyst)Operations Research Scientist (Ops Research Scientist)ResearcherAdvanced Analytics AssociateDecision AnalystOptimization Analyst
More job titles for this occupation (34)
Analytics ConsultantBusiness AnalystBusiness Operations AnalystBusiness Process AnalystContinuous Improvement SpecialistDecision Support AnalystFile System InstallerForms AnalystLiaison PlannerMaterial LiaisonMethods AnalystMethods ConsultantMethods SpecialistOffice System AnalystOperations Analyst (Ops Analyst)Operations Specialist (Ops Specialist)Operations Support Specialist (Ops Support Specialist)Policy AdvisorPolicy OfficerProcedure AnalystProcedure WriterProcess AnalystResearch AnalystResearch AssistantResearch AssociateResearch ScientistResearch SpecialistResearch Technician (Research Tech)Risk AnalystSales Operations Analyst (Sales Ops Analyst)Standards AnalystSystems AnalystSystems ConsultantTechnical Analyst

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.