An operation research analyst solves complex organizational problems through the use of advanced mathematical and analytical means. You are responsible for the collection and organization of data like sales histories or customers' feedback. You also have to examine and analyze the obtained information to decipher an effective way to deal with problems. A research analyst makes use of simulations, predictive models, and various statistical analyses to come up with practical business solutions. You have to regularly write reports to communicate your analysis and recommendations to your managers and the company's executives.
The least educational requirement for this role is a Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, management science, or any other related field. Although, some employers might prefer higher degrees like Masters. You need to have exceptional presentation skills in addition to good written and oral communication skills. It is also important that you are a critical analyzer and a problem solver. The average annual salary of an operations research analyst is $86,200.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an operations research analyst. For example, did you know that they make an average of $35.69 an hour? That's $74,227 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 26% and produce 28,100 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many operations research analysts have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed math skills, writing skills and interpersonal skills.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be an operations research analyst, we found that a lot of resumes listed 15.1% of operations research analysts included operations research, while 14.2% of resumes included procedures, and 12.8% of resumes included clearance. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the operations research analyst job title. But what industry to start with? Most operations research analysts actually find jobs in the technology and finance industries.
If you're interested in becoming an operations research analyst, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 64.3% of operations research analysts have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 20.6% of operations research analysts have master's degrees. Even though most operations research analysts have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an operations research analyst. When we researched the most common majors for an operations research analyst, we found that they most commonly earn bachelor's degree degrees or master's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on operations research analyst resumes include associate degree degrees or doctoral degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become an operations research analyst. In fact, many operations research analyst jobs require experience in a role such as research assistant. Meanwhile, many operations research analysts also have previous career experience in roles such as internship or teaching assistant.
