Operations research analysts

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

151k

Average Age

43.9

Estimated Job Growth

24.9%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$87,405

Average Male Salary

$94,570

Average Female Salary

$80,238

About

Operations research analysts are most often employed by the National security & international affairs industry. The average yearly wage for Operations research analysts was $87,405 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Operations research analysts by wage are Chemists & materials scientists, Producers & directors, and Environmental engineers.

Operations research analysts are part of the Computer & mathematical occupations, along with Computer systems analysts, Information security analysts, Computer and information research scientists, Computer support specialists, Computer network architects, and 11 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Operations research analysts are District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, Severn, Odenton, Crofton, Maryland City & Fort Meade PUMA, MD, and Alexandria City PUMA, VA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Operations research analysts are District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, Arlington County (North) PUMA, VA, and Severn, Odenton, Crofton, Maryland City & Fort Meade PUMA, MD.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Operations research analysts and on wages and locations for those in the field. National security & international affairs is the industry that employs the most Operations research analysts, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Operations research analysts, by average wage, is Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals. Operations research analysts are paid most in Mountain View, Palo Alto & Los Altos Cities PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC.

Yearly Wage

$87,405

AVERAGE SALARY

± $2,936

In 2020, Operations research analysts earned an average of $87,405, $31,451 more than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Producers & directors make somewhat more than Operations research analysts while Chemists & materials scientists make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Operations research analysts as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.269

WAGE GINI

In 2015, Operations research analysts had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.269, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Operations research analysts (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Operations research analysts.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Operations research analysts

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Operations research analysts.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Operations research analysts, by number of employees, are National security & international affairs, Executive offices & legislative bodies, Justice, public order, & safety activities , Administration of human resource programs, Management, scientific & technical consulting services, Scientific research & development services, Administration of economic programs & space research, Banking & related activities, Computer Systems Design, Public finance activities, and Insurance carriers.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Operations research analysts, by average wage, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals, Communications, & audio & video equipment manufacturing, and Support activities for mining.

Industries by Share

151k

2020 Workforce

± 9,550

3.1%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 8.72%

The number of people employed as Operations research analysts has been growing at a rate of 3.1%, from 146,904 people in 2019 to 151,456 people in 2020.

This graphic shows the share of Operations research analysts employed by various industries. National security & international affairs employs the largest share of Operations research analysts at 16.4%, followed by Executive offices & legislative bodies with 9.57% and Justice, public order, & safety activities with 7.54%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Operations research analysts in the US. The average age of male Operations research analysts in the workforce is 44.3 and of female Operations research analysts is 43.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Operations research analysts is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

75.7k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 6,755

75.7k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 6,754

50% of Operations research analysts are Male, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Operations research analysts.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Operations research analysts

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
Asian (Non-Hispanic)

63.5% of Operations research analysts are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 11.5% of Operations research analysts, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Operations research analysts.

Age by Sex

44.3

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 1.11

43.4

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 1.05

The median age of Operations research analysts is 43.9, and Male employees are generally 0.854 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Operations research analysts from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Operations research analysts is Business but a relatively high number of Operations research analysts hold a major in Math & Statistics.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Operations research analysts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Operations research analysts need many skills, but most especially Mathematics, Critical Thinking, and Complex Problem Solving. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Operations research analysts need more than the average amount of Science, Operations Analysis, and Programming.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

Projections

Projections on job growth for Operations Research Analysts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Operations Research Analysts are expected to see a growth of 24.9% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

24.9%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Operations Research Analysts. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.