Operations Research Analysts pay in the U.S.
$99,730avg. a year
$47.95 an hour · 108,510 employed
Operations Research Analysts in the U.S. earn an average of $99,730 a year and a median of $88,940. Pay is highest in Virginia ($130,720) and lowest in Oklahoma ($63,770).
$88,940Median pay
$47.95Average hourly
+8%Avg. pay since 2020
108,510Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for operations research analysts
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
16,980 jobs
Virginia
$130,720
$62.85 an hour
2770 jobs
Colorado
$130,610
$62.79 an hour
3550 jobs
Alabama
$117,850
$56.66 an hour
45,890 jobs
New York
$117,790
$56.63 an hour
52,250 jobs
District of Columbia
$115,120
$55.35 an hour
6120 jobs
Hawaii
$111,180
$53.45 an hour
710,620 jobs
California
$110,860
$53.30 an hour
83,050 jobs
Washington
$107,340
$51.60 an hour
94,710 jobs
Maryland
$106,620
$51.26 an hour
105,180 jobs
Illinois
$104,580
$50.28 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Operations Research Analysts pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $87k$87k–$95k$95k–$104k$104k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | $136,770 | $65.76 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $135,050 | $64.93 |
| Huntsville, AL | $130,920 | $62.94 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $129,810 | $62.41 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $129,160 | $62.10 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,110 | $62.07 |
| Peoria, IL | $125,950 | $60.55 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $121,720 | $58.52 |
Related jobs
- Data Scientists$126,800
- Statisticians$115,700
- Actuaries$141,480
- Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other$91,550
- Mathematicians$129,260
- Software Developers$148,100
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Operations Research Analysts pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $117,850 | $115,630 | 550 |
| Alaska | $89,070 | $88,750 | 70 |
| Arizona | $83,290 | $75,470 | 2,600 |
| Arkansas | $65,060 | $59,030 | 210 |
| California | $110,860 | $102,100 | 10,620 |
| Colorado | $130,610 | $129,880 | 770 |
| Connecticut | $97,910 | $96,700 | 950 |
| Delaware | $101,810 | $101,070 | 660 |
| District of Columbia | $115,120 | $96,030 | 2,250 |
| Florida | $84,250 | $77,600 | 9,120 |
| Georgia | $85,530 | $76,220 | 4,600 |
| Hawaii | $111,180 | $100,600 | 120 |
| Idaho | $100,360 | $103,600 | 500 |
| Illinois | $104,580 | $89,800 | 5,180 |
| Indiana | $93,070 | $85,280 | 1,380 |
| Iowa | $90,760 | $80,580 | 300 |
| Kansas | $96,580 | $92,050 | – |
| Kentucky | $89,930 | $83,850 | 660 |
| Louisiana | $72,320 | $63,210 | 550 |
| Maine | $102,300 | $99,460 | 220 |
| Maryland | $106,620 | $97,410 | 4,710 |
| Massachusetts | $104,450 | $96,500 | 4,200 |
| Michigan | $94,890 | $83,480 | 980 |
| Minnesota | $99,230 | $95,550 | 1,240 |
| Mississippi | $92,040 | $92,310 | 120 |
| Missouri | $74,620 | $62,380 | 1,190 |
| Montana | $78,530 | $80,400 | 150 |
| Nebraska | $101,330 | $98,300 | 330 |
| Nevada | $97,130 | $86,500 | 370 |
| New Mexico | $93,860 | $80,360 | 510 |
| New York | $117,790 | $108,610 | 5,890 |
| North Carolina | $98,000 | $97,290 | 2,520 |
| North Dakota | $89,080 | $82,460 | 130 |
| Ohio | $101,050 | $103,620 | 2,600 |
| Oklahoma | $63,770 | $61,520 | 1,840 |
| Oregon | $103,980 | $102,170 | 2,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $88,210 | $79,640 | 3,220 |
| Rhode Island | $92,390 | $77,910 | 360 |
| South Carolina | $87,170 | $80,240 | 1,380 |
| Tennessee | $80,330 | $76,680 | 1,200 |
| Texas | $100,070 | $90,710 | 11,890 |
| Utah | $93,310 | $90,200 | 810 |
| Vermont | $90,840 | $89,790 | 170 |
| Virginia | $130,720 | $129,460 | 6,980 |
| Washington | $107,340 | $98,030 | 3,050 |
| West Virginia | $71,320 | $64,100 | 200 |
| Wisconsin | $73,790 | $71,820 | 4,270 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$129,160
8,080 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$113,050
6,890 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$113,610
4,270 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$99,710
3,680 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$104,580
3,480 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$107,760
3,420 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$87,290
3,250 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$98,820
2,500 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do operations research analysts make?
The average is $99,730 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $88,940 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $47.95, and the median is $42.76 an hour.
Which state pays operations research analysts the most?
Virginia, with an average of $130,720 a year. The best-paying metro area is Colorado Springs, CO at $136,770.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $57,060 a year, and the top 10% earn over $159,910.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 15-2031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.