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Operations research analyst salary
Average operations research analyst salary
$74,424
Understanding Operations Research Analyst Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Operations Research Analyst is approximately $74,424 per year, equating to about $36 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and industry.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level analysts typically earn less, with salaries increasing substantially with experience. For instance, analysts with over ten years in the field can earn upwards of $100,000 annually.
Top Paying States
- California: $85,000
- New York: $80,000
- Washington: $78,000
These states often present higher job opportunities due to the concentration of industries that require analytical expertise. Understanding these figures helps professionals gauge their potential earnings and make informed decisions about their career paths.
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Where can an Operations Research Analyst earn more?
Operations research analyst salaries by experience level
Operations research analyst salary estimates from across the web
Average operations research analyst salary by state
The average operations research analyst salary in Maine, New Jersey, and Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average operations research analyst salary states are Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for operations research analysts
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $95,308 | $45.82 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $99,659 | $47.91 |
| 3 | Oregon | $84,243 | $40.50 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $83,506 | $40.15 |
| 5 | Virginia | $86,585 | $41.63 |
| 6 | Washington | $86,546 | $41.61 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $79,088 | $38.02 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $79,015 | $37.99 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $75,494 | $36.30 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $93,372 | $44.89 |
| 11 | Illinois | $85,676 | $41.19 |
| 12 | California | $85,112 | $40.92 |
| 13 | Michigan | $74,052 | $35.60 |
| 14 | Ohio | $75,565 | $36.33 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $69,250 | $33.29 |
| 16 | Delaware | $82,624 | $39.72 |
| 17 | New York | $85,957 | $41.33 |
| 18 | Texas | $69,939 | $33.62 |
| 19 | Kansas | $71,820 | $34.53 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $79,685 | $38.31 |
| 21 | Maryland | $81,849 | $39.35 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $78,885 | $37.93 |
| 23 | Missouri | $67,383 | $32.40 |
| 24 | Colorado | $73,191 | $35.19 |
| 25 | Utah | $63,220 | $30.39 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $71,054 | $34.16 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $64,154 | $30.84 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $65,243 | $31.37 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $66,775 | $32.10 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $69,263 | $33.30 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $67,700 | $32.55 |
| 32 | Iowa | $66,019 | $31.74 |
| 33 | Alabama | $65,426 | $31.45 |
| 34 | Arizona | $67,569 | $32.49 |
| 35 | Idaho | $58,382 | $28.07 |
| 36 | Indiana | $59,580 | $28.64 |
| 37 | Vermont | $66,381 | $31.91 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $64,431 | $30.98 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $57,173 | $27.49 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $61,484 | $29.56 |
| 41 | Nevada | $62,176 | $29.89 |
| 42 | Montana | $55,431 | $26.65 |
| 43 | Florida | $51,200 | $24.62 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $55,669 | $26.76 |
| 45 | Georgia | $54,336 | $26.12 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $54,292 | $26.10 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $54,912 | $26.40 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $53,250 | $25.60 |
| 49 | Alaska | $56,980 | $27.39 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $52,615 | $25.30 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $46,918 | $22.56 |
Highest paying cities for operations research analysts
The highest-paying cities for operations research analysts are Washington, DC, Hoboken, NJ, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $99,687 | $47.93 |
| 2 | Hoboken, NJ | $93,578 | $44.99 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $92,441 | $44.44 |
| 4 | Arlington, VA | $87,659 | $42.14 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $87,565 | $42.10 |
| 6 | Evanston, IL | $86,293 | $41.49 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $86,034 | $41.36 |
| 8 | Wilmington, DE | $82,838 | $39.83 |
| 9 | Charlotte, NC | $82,522 | $39.67 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $79,018 | $37.99 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $75,794 | $36.44 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $75,334 | $36.22 |
| 13 | Fort Worth, TX | $70,560 | $33.92 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $67,730 | $32.56 |
| 15 | Norman, OK | $67,074 | $32.25 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $61,636 | $29.63 |
| 17 | Columbus, IN | $59,158 | $28.44 |
| 18 | Alpharetta, GA | $54,808 | $26.35 |
| 19 | Memphis, TN | $52,417 | $25.20 |
| 20 | Tampa, FL | $51,567 | $24.79 |
Operations research analyst salary details
An operations research analyst's salary ranges from $48,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $113,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an operations research analyst's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $113,000 | $9,417 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $74,424 | $6,202 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
Highest paying operations research analyst jobs
The highest paying types of operations research analysts are data scientist, statistician, and senior operations analyst.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistician | $84,726 | $7,061 | $40.73 | 17,782 |
| Data Scientist | $106,104 | $8,842 | $51.01 | 106,973 |
| Business Analyst/Quality Analyst | $74,931 | $6,244 | $36.02 | 168,145 |
| Analyst | $73,007 | $6,084 | $35.10 | 253,138 |
| Management Analyst | $69,804 | $5,817 | $33.56 | 169,171 |
| Inventory Analyst | $58,944 | $4,912 | $28.34 | 25,500 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for operations research analysts, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Susan Barton
Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University -- Hawaii
With more advanced degrees in mathematics, the starting salary is even better. In the 2019 USA Today/Wall 24/7 report for top careers, for both salary and job satisfaction, six of the top 10 are closely related to mathematics and applied mathematics (#2 Mathematician, #3 University Professor, #5 Statistician, #7 Data Scientist, #9 Operations Research Analyst --uses math to help companies solve problems and operate more efficiently, and #10 Actuary). Each of these careers has a predicted growth rate that exceeds 22% through 2026.
Source: link
Once hired, salary increases and advances in one's career have a lot to do with demonstrating ability, talent, dependability, successfully taking on new assignments, and fitting a need within the company. You need to show you are a valuable asset to your employer throughout your career.
Top companies hiring operations research analysts now:
Which companies pay operations research analysts the most?
Operations research analyst salaries at The Citadel and McKinsey & Company Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average operations research analyst salary at companies like Bain & Company and A.T. Kearney are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Citadel | $164,421 | $79.05 |
| 2 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $141,584 | $68.07 |
| 3 | Bain & Company | $137,052 | $65.89 |
| 4 | A.T. Kearney | $134,240 | $64.54 |
| 5 | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | $134,124 | $64.48 |
| 6 | Meta | $131,605 | $63.27 |
| 7 | BP America Inc | $129,246 | $62.14 |
| 8 | NVIDIA | $128,835 | $61.94 |
| 9 | Goldman Sachs | $126,374 | $60.76 |
| 10 | D. E. Shaw group | $125,568 | $60.37 |
| 11 | Genentech | $124,855 | $60.03 |
| 12 | Ernst & Young | $123,711 | $59.48 |
| 13 | $123,711 | $59.48 | |
| 14 | Better | $123,645 | $59.44 |
| 15 | Alvarez & Marsal | $123,521 | $59.39 |
| 16 | Boehringer Ingelheim | $123,345 | $59.30 |
| 17 | PayPal | $123,012 | $59.14 |
| 18 | Apple | $122,856 | $59.07 |
| 19 | AstraZeneca | $122,538 | $58.91 |
| 20 | Novartis | $121,897 | $58.60 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Operations Research Analyst salary by industry
The average operations research analyst salary varies across industries:
- The average operations research analyst salary in the professional industry is $115,452, the highest of any industry.
- The average operations research analyst salary in the finance industry is $89,604.
- Operations research analysts in the finance industry earn an average salary of $78,099, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for operations research analysts
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $115,452 | $55.51 |
| 2 | Government | $89,604 | $43.08 |
| 3 | Technology | $83,794 | $40.29 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $78,233 | $37.61 |
| 5 | Finance | $78,099 | $37.55 |
High paying operations research analyst jobs
Operations research analyst salary trends
The average operations research analyst salary has risen by $12,304 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average operations research analyst earned $62,120 annually, but today, they earn $74,424 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for operations research analysts over the last decade.
Compare operations research analyst salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average operations research analyst salary over time
Compare operations research analyst salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Operations research analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $74,400 | $35.78 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | $73,200 | $35.20 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $72,000 | $34.61 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $70,300 | $33.78 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $68,400 | $32.87 | +0.7% |
Recently added operations research analyst salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State University | Operations Research/Undersea Systems Analyst | Parkesburg, PA | 06/29/2025 | $76,700 |
| SMX | Operations Research Analyst Journeyman | Tampa, FL | 06/28/2025 | $79,700 |
| Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. | Operations Research Analyst-Jr/Mid | San Diego, CA | 06/26/2025 | $85,000 |
| Indus Technology | Mid-Level Operations Research Analyst (ORA) | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/26/2025 | $89,000 |
| SAIC (Science Applications Int | Operations Research Analyst | Lexington Park, MD | 06/24/2025 | $40,001 |
| Department of Homeland Security | Supervisory Operations Research Analyst | Washington, DC | 06/22/2025 | $167,603 |
| Baxter | R&D Co-Op | Skaneateles, NY | 06/20/2025 | $54,262 |
| CTC Group | Operational Research Analyst | Fort Meade, MD | 06/19/2025 | $140,000 |
| Florida State University | OPS Researcher (Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine-College of Medicine) | Tallahassee, FL | 06/17/2025 | $31,305 |
| Significance, Inc. | Operations Research Analyst (Senior) | Washington, DC | 06/17/2025 | $105,000 |
Operations research analyst salary FAQs
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