The 10 States With The Highest Operations Analyst Salaries For 2026

In today’s competitive job market, salary remains a top priority for job seekers. For those considering a career as an operations analyst, understanding local salary trends is crucial.

Several factors influence individual salaries, but comprehensive data on average salaries for operations analysts across the United States, categorized by state and seniority level, is readily available. While your specific city might differ from state averages, these figures provide useful insights into what you might expect to earn.

After careful analysis, the state offering the highest compensation for operations analysts is Virginia.

Here’s a quick overview of the top ten states for operations analyst salaries:

To provide clarity on salary variations across the United States, we examined the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, focusing on average pay for operations analysts by state.

We also factored in the cost of living across different states, as your salary’s purchasing power can vary significantly. For instance, a salary in North Carolina stretches further than the same salary in California.

Here’s a deeper dive into how we calculated these salaries and a complete ranking of all states.

How We Determined Pay By State

We sourced average annual salary data for operations analysts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, particularly from their ‘Occupational Employment Statistics’ report.

To enable a fair comparison of salaries across states, we also considered the cost of living in each state.

We created an index by dividing the average wage for a state by its cost of living relative to the national average. For example, with a cost of living index of 135.9 in California and an average salary of $95,470, the adjusted salary would be:

$95,470 * (100 / 135.9) = $70,250

Every state was then ranked according to this criteria, with the highest index value indicating the best salary for operations analysts.

Here’s the complete ranking of operations analyst salaries by state.

Detailed List Of Operations Analyst Salaries By State

Rank	State	Adjusted Salary	Average Wage	Cost Of Living
1	Virginia	$104,146	$104,980	100.8
2	Illinois	$102,145	$96,630	94.6
3	Michigan	$99,797	$88,820	89.0
4	Alabama	$98,004	$89,380	91.2
5	Kansas	$94,605	$85,050	89.9
6	Texas	$91,135	$82,660	90.7
7	North Carolina	$90,372	$84,860	93.9
8	Iowa	$90,098	$81,990	91.0
9	New Mexico	$89,202	$86,080	96.5
10	Washington	$88,479	$93,080	105.2
11	Minnesota	$88,313	$89,020	100.8
12	Ohio	$88,283	$82,810	93.8
13	New Jersey	$87,629	$106,820	121.9
14	Colorado	$86,965	$90,270	103.8
15	Mississippi	$86,949	$74,690	85.9
16	Pennsylvania	$86,005	$87,210	101.4
17	Delaware	$85,493	$86,690	101.4
18	Missouri	$85,409	$77,210	90.4
19	Nevada	$83,059	$85,800	103.3
20	New Hampshire	$81,905	$95,830	117.0
21	Idaho	$80,445	$74,090	92.1
22	Maryland	$79,577	$99,870	125.5
23	Utah	$78,709	$73,200	93.0
24	Arizona	$78,326	$76,760	98.0
25	New York	$78,290	$102,560	131.0
26	Tennessee	$77,718	$69,480	89.4
27	Kentucky	$77,359	$70,010	90.5
28	South Carolina	$77,288	$76,670	99.2
29	Indiana	$76,603	$68,560	89.5
30	Oklahoma	$76,334	$68,090	89.2
31	Rhode Island	$76,304	$92,100	120.7
32	Georgia	$75,897	$69,370	91.4
33	Wisconsin	$75,309	$72,900	96.8
34	Florida	$74,984	$73,710	98.3
35	Oregon	$74,204	$85,780	115.6
36	Connecticut	$70,657	$90,230	127.7
37	Arkansas	$70,447	$61,360	87.1
38	Vermont	$70,305	$85,140	121.1
39	California	$70,250	$95,470	135.9
40	Maine	$70,171	$77,750	110.8
41	Nebraska	$67,718	$62,030	91.6
42	Montana	$66,884	$67,420	100.8
43	Massachusetts	$66,109	$88,190	133.4
44	North Dakota	$64,969	$64,580	99.4
45	Hawaii	$60,911	$102,270	167.9
46	West Virginia	$60,642	$56,640	93.4
47	Alaska	$55,019	$72,130	131.1

Understanding these salary trends can help you make informed decisions about your career as an operations analyst. Whether you’re considering relocation or simply negotiating your salary, being aware of these figures is essential in today’s evolving job landscape.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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