Technology · 68 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Operations Research Analyst (2025)

The median Operations Research Analyst salary is $140,590 in Colorado Springs, CO, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Colorado Springs, CO offers the best purchasing power at $134,536 adjusted.

The 68 cities below are ranked by median wage for Operations Research Analyst, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Operations Research Analyst relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$90,762

National Median

$140,590

Highest City

$53,730

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	Colorado Springs, CO	$140,590	$84,060, $174,400	104.5	$134,536	170
2	Denver, CO	$127,810	$83,450, $182,530	112.8	$113,307	490
3	Washington, DC	$127,600	$69,910, $194,900	152.8	$83,508	8,080
4	San Jose, CA	$123,360	$80,290, $201,930	195.8	$63,003	920
5	Bakersfield, CA	$119,020	$64,320, $159,700	100.6	$118,310	80
6	San Francisco, CA	$110,560	$76,090, $176,850	179.6	$61,559	2,050
7	Richmond, VA	$109,650	$53,810, $159,410	102.1	$107,395	1,020
8	Dallas, TX	$106,380	$61,740, $201,080	104.1	$102,190	4,270
9	Cincinnati, OH	$105,360	$56,250, $159,440	91.2	$115,526	410
10	Charlotte, NC	$105,180	$62,100, $131,730	96.7	$108,769	1,360
11	Columbus, OH	$104,970	$52,000, $135,500	93.1	$112,750	670
12	Sacramento, CA	$104,210	$72,030, $163,040	124.7	$83,569	510
13	New York, NY	$103,110	$64,170, $174,310	187.2	$55,080	6,890
14	Seattle, WA	$102,930	$70,070, $165,870	149.4	$68,896	2,110
15	Omaha, NE	$102,900	$60,550, $154,590	91.8	$112,092	240
16	Wichita, KS	$102,880	$78,800, $129,800	84	$122,476	140
17	Portland, OR	$102,480	$70,680, $155,390	130.1	$78,770	2,100
18	Bridgeport, CT	$101,900	$79,710, $136,120	137.5	$74,109	130
19	Fresno, CA	$101,780	$64,740, $135,070	105.5	$96,474	130
20	Boston, MA	$100,700	$73,600, $153,190	152.1	$66,206	3,420
21	Philadelphia, PA	$100,460	$63,030, $142,010	118.4	$84,848	1,700
22	Buffalo, NY	$99,560	$64,850, $163,980	92.5	$107,632	230
23	San Diego, CA	$99,230	$68,220, $170,460	160.2	$61,941	1,280
24	Los Angeles, CA	$98,270	$62,420, $161,660	166	$59,199	3,480
25	Boise, ID	$97,010	$60,640, $151,420	102.1	$95,015	260
26	Tucson, AZ	$95,620	$52,600, $132,430	95.4	$100,231	110
27	Minneapolis, MN	$95,450	$60,350, $133,170	106.2	$89,878	1,140
28	Hartford, CT	$94,710	$64,210, $128,730	112.6	$84,112	550
29	Baltimore, MD	$94,440	$55,790, $184,100	114.2	$82,697	2,350
30	Birmingham, AL	$89,940	$59,750, $138,960	90.4	$99,491	100
31	New Orleans, LA	$89,670	$60,780, $128,610	95.9	$93,504	80
32	Austin, TX	$88,190	$63,800, $137,380	103	$85,621	1,600
33	Las Vegas, NV	$87,050	$65,900, $145,760	109	$79,862	260
34	Indianapolis, IN	$86,660	$59,950, $156,290	90.1	$96,182	640
35	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$86,510	$60,510, $133,450	122.4	$70,678	470
36	Chicago, IL	$86,500	$62,470, $148,600	107.3	$80,615	3,680
37	Houston, TX	$86,380	$60,120, $171,580	96.5	$89,513	2,500
38	Salt Lake City, UT	$85,840	$58,500, $129,290	101.4	$84,655	580
39	Kansas City, MO	$85,380	$57,270, $139,240	95.4	$89,497	0
40	Rochester, NY	$84,980	$60,800, $159,950	92.9	$91,475	170
41	Albany, NY	$84,140	$54,210, $126,420	100.7	$83,555	430
42	Raleigh, NC	$83,630	$49,740, $146,970	99.8	$83,798	220
43	Des Moines, IA	$83,410	$39,800, $140,960	93.3	$89,400	190
44	Memphis, TN	$83,120	$52,170, $145,270	84	$98,952	180
45	Pittsburgh, PA	$82,560	$52,920, $123,920	92.3	$89,447	430
46	Spokane, WA	$82,500	$60,770, $122,320	97.4	$84,702	100
47	Detroit, MI	$81,590	$65,180, $150,530	95.1	$85,794	530
48	Louisville, KY	$81,530	$63,890, $119,220	90.2	$90,388	280
49	Greensboro, NC	$80,300	$59,110, $129,010	91.3	$87,952	120
50	Tampa, FL	$79,940	$47,530, $131,490	99.6	$80,261	1,940
51	Jacksonville, FL	$79,250	$50,620, $128,890	95.1	$83,333	1,120
52	Phoenix, AZ	$79,190	$52,620, $129,650	100.7	$78,640	1,880
53	Nashville, TN	$79,140	$46,150, $129,840	100.3	$78,903	450
54	Providence, RI	$77,900	$61,110, $155,150	119.4	$65,243	400
55	Atlanta, GA	$77,510	$52,350, $134,790	99.2	$78,135	3,250
56	Miami, FL	$76,400	$47,220, $125,650	123.1	$62,063	1,910
57	Orlando, FL	$75,990	$45,830, $128,460	103.1	$73,705	910
58	Madison, WI	$75,650	$51,360, $117,990	103.8	$72,881	880
59	Albuquerque, NM	$75,000	$48,760, $157,750	94	$79,787	250
60	Milwaukee, WI	$74,850	$52,000, $102,960	97.4	$76,848	1,310
61	Reno, NV	$74,110	$63,360, $155,760	106.5	$69,587	50
62	Greenville, SC	$73,280	$52,170, $126,510	90.1	$81,332	250
63	San Antonio, TX	$72,890	$57,840, $128,900	91.5	$79,661	1,290
64	Tulsa, OK	$72,680	$57,590, $106,940	86.8	$83,733	80
65	Lexington, KY	$72,500	$58,970, $106,240	91.3	$79,409	140
66	St. Louis, MO	$63,650	$49,180, $125,800	90	$70,722	900
67	Little Rock, AR	$60,160	$48,520, $98,250	88.2	$68,209	100
68	Oklahoma City, OK	$53,730	$41,680, $84,330	86.5	$62,116	1,670

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Operations Research Analyst paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Colorado Springs, CO	$134,536	$140,590	104.5
2	Wichita, KS	$122,476	$102,880	84
3	Bakersfield, CA	$118,310	$119,020	100.6
4	Cincinnati, OH	$115,526	$105,360	91.2
5	Denver, CO	$113,307	$127,810	112.8
6	Columbus, OH	$112,750	$104,970	93.1
7	Omaha, NE	$112,092	$102,900	91.8
8	Charlotte, NC	$108,769	$105,180	96.7
9	Buffalo, NY	$107,632	$99,560	92.5
10	Richmond, VA	$107,395	$109,650	102.1
11	Dallas, TX	$102,190	$106,380	104.1
12	Tucson, AZ	$100,231	$95,620	95.4
13	Birmingham, AL	$99,491	$89,940	90.4
14	Memphis, TN	$98,952	$83,120	84
15	Fresno, CA	$96,474	$101,780	105.5
16	Indianapolis, IN	$96,182	$86,660	90.1
17	Boise, ID	$95,015	$97,010	102.1
18	New Orleans, LA	$93,504	$89,670	95.9
19	Rochester, NY	$91,475	$84,980	92.9
20	Louisville, KY	$90,388	$81,530	90.2
21	Minneapolis, MN	$89,878	$95,450	106.2
22	Houston, TX	$89,513	$86,380	96.5
23	Kansas City, MO	$89,497	$85,380	95.4
24	Pittsburgh, PA	$89,447	$82,560	92.3
25	Des Moines, IA	$89,400	$83,410	93.3
26	Greensboro, NC	$87,952	$80,300	91.3
27	Detroit, MI	$85,794	$81,590	95.1
28	Austin, TX	$85,621	$88,190	103
29	Philadelphia, PA	$84,848	$100,460	118.4
30	Spokane, WA	$84,702	$82,500	97.4
31	Salt Lake City, UT	$84,655	$85,840	101.4
32	Hartford, CT	$84,112	$94,710	112.6
33	Raleigh, NC	$83,798	$83,630	99.8
34	Tulsa, OK	$83,733	$72,680	86.8
35	Sacramento, CA	$83,569	$104,210	124.7
36	Albany, NY	$83,555	$84,140	100.7
37	Washington, DC	$83,508	$127,600	152.8
38	Jacksonville, FL	$83,333	$79,250	95.1
39	Baltimore, MD	$82,697	$94,440	114.2
40	Greenville, SC	$81,332	$73,280	90.1
41	Chicago, IL	$80,615	$86,500	107.3
42	Tampa, FL	$80,261	$79,940	99.6
43	Las Vegas, NV	$79,862	$87,050	109
44	Albuquerque, NM	$79,787	$75,000	94
45	San Antonio, TX	$79,661	$72,890	91.5
46	Lexington, KY	$79,409	$72,500	91.3
47	Nashville, TN	$78,903	$79,140	100.3
48	Portland, OR	$78,770	$102,480	130.1
49	Phoenix, AZ	$78,640	$79,190	100.7
50	Atlanta, GA	$78,135	$77,510	99.2
51	Milwaukee, WI	$76,848	$74,850	97.4
52	Bridgeport, CT	$74,109	$101,900	137.5
53	Orlando, FL	$73,705	$75,990	103.1
54	Madison, WI	$72,881	$75,650	103.8
55	St. Louis, MO	$70,722	$63,650	90
56	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$70,678	$86,510	122.4
57	Reno, NV	$69,587	$74,110	106.5
58	Seattle, WA	$68,896	$102,930	149.4
59	Little Rock, AR	$68,209	$60,160	88.2
60	Boston, MA	$66,206	$100,700	152.1
61	Providence, RI	$65,243	$77,900	119.4
62	San Jose, CA	$63,003	$123,360	195.8
63	Oklahoma City, OK	$62,116	$53,730	86.5
64	Miami, FL	$62,063	$76,400	123.1
65	San Diego, CA	$61,941	$99,230	160.2
66	San Francisco, CA	$61,559	$110,560	179.6
67	Los Angeles, CA	$59,199	$98,270	166
68	New York, NY	$55,080	$103,110	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

Colorado Springs, CO pays the highest median Operations Research Analyst salary at $140,590. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Colorado Springs, CO offers the most purchasing power at $134,536 adjusted.

The national median Operations Research Analyst salary is $90,762 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $53,730 to $140,590 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.