Operations Research Analysts Salary 2025: $90,762 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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- Not self-reported estimates
$90,762 per year is the national median annual wage for operations research analysts (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $44/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $84,060 to $174,400. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 15-2031.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $90,762
- Median hourly wage
- $44/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $102,970
- Total US employment
- 77,630
- Top-paying metro
- Colorado Springs, CO, CO ($140,590)
- BLS SOC code
- 15-2031
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for operations research analysts (BLS SOC 15-2031) is $90,762 per year — about $44/hour — across 77,630 workers in 68 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $102,970 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $61,502 while the 90th earns $156,404 — a 2.5× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most operations research analysts land in the $75,295–$126,195 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. Colorado Springs, CO, CO posts the highest median at $140,590, versus $53,730 in Oklahoma City, OK, OK — a 162% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Colorado Springs, CO delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($134,536 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
As a Technology occupation, operations research analyst pay carries a national-market premium: remote-friendly hiring lets high-paying coastal employers compete for talent anywhere, widening the geographic spread beyond what most fields show. OEWS reports base wage only — the equity and bonuses common in tech sit on top.
Operations Research Analysts Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what operations research analysts earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $61,502 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $75,295 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $95,985 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $126,195 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $156,404 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Operations Research Analysts salaries range from $53,730 to $140,590 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Operations Research Analysts Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | $84,060 | $106,672 | $140,590 | $157,495 | $174,400 | $134,536 | 170 |
| Denver, CO | $83,450 | $101,194 | $127,810 | $155,170 | $182,530 | $113,307 | 490 |
| Washington, DC | $69,910 | $92,986 | $127,600 | $161,250 | $194,900 | $83,508 | 8,080 |
| San Jose, CA | $80,290 | $97,518 | $123,360 | $162,645 | $201,930 | $63,003 | 920 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $64,320 | $86,200 | $119,020 | $139,360 | $159,700 | $118,310 | 80 |
| San Francisco, CA | $76,090 | $89,878 | $110,560 | $143,705 | $176,850 | $61,559 | 2,050 |
| Richmond, VA | $53,810 | $76,146 | $109,650 | $134,530 | $159,410 | $107,395 | 1,020 |
| Dallas, TX | $61,740 | $79,596 | $106,380 | $153,730 | $201,080 | $102,190 | 4,270 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $56,250 | $75,894 | $105,360 | $132,400 | $159,440 | $115,526 | 410 |
| Charlotte, NC | $62,100 | $79,332 | $105,180 | $118,455 | $131,730 | $108,769 | 1,360 |
| Columbus, OH | $52,000 | $73,188 | $104,970 | $120,235 | $135,500 | $112,750 | 670 |
| Sacramento, CA | $72,030 | $84,902 | $104,210 | $133,625 | $163,040 | $83,569 | 510 |
| New York, NY | $64,170 | $79,746 | $103,110 | $138,710 | $174,310 | $55,080 | 6,890 |
| Seattle, WA | $70,070 | $83,214 | $102,930 | $134,400 | $165,870 | $68,896 | 2,110 |
| Omaha, NE | $60,550 | $77,490 | $102,900 | $128,745 | $154,590 | $112,092 | 240 |
| Wichita, KS | $78,800 | $88,432 | $102,880 | $116,340 | $129,800 | $122,476 | 140 |
| Portland, OR | $70,680 | $83,400 | $102,480 | $128,935 | $155,390 | $78,770 | 2,100 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $79,710 | $88,586 | $101,900 | $119,010 | $136,120 | $74,109 | 130 |
| Fresno, CA | $64,740 | $79,556 | $101,780 | $118,425 | $135,070 | $96,474 | 130 |
| Boston, MA | $73,600 | $84,440 | $100,700 | $126,945 | $153,190 | $66,206 | 3,420 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $63,030 | $78,002 | $100,460 | $121,235 | $142,010 | $84,848 | 1,700 |
| Buffalo, NY | $64,850 | $78,734 | $99,560 | $131,770 | $163,980 | $107,632 | 230 |
| San Diego, CA | $68,220 | $80,624 | $99,230 | $134,845 | $170,460 | $61,941 | 1,280 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $62,420 | $76,760 | $98,270 | $129,965 | $161,660 | $59,199 | 3,480 |
| Boise, ID | $60,640 | $75,188 | $97,010 | $124,215 | $151,420 | $95,015 | 260 |
| Tucson, AZ | $52,600 | $69,808 | $95,620 | $114,025 | $132,430 | $100,231 | 110 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $60,350 | $74,390 | $95,450 | $114,310 | $133,170 | $89,878 | 1,140 |
| Hartford, CT | $64,210 | $76,410 | $94,710 | $111,720 | $128,730 | $84,112 | 550 |
| Baltimore, MD | $55,790 | $71,250 | $94,440 | $139,270 | $184,100 | $82,697 | 2,350 |
| Birmingham, AL | $59,750 | $71,826 | $89,940 | $114,450 | $138,960 | $99,491 | 100 |
| New Orleans, LA | $60,780 | $72,336 | $89,670 | $109,140 | $128,610 | $93,504 | 80 |
| Austin, TX | $63,800 | $73,556 | $88,190 | $112,785 | $137,380 | $85,621 | 1,600 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $65,900 | $74,360 | $87,050 | $116,405 | $145,760 | $79,862 | 260 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $59,950 | $70,634 | $86,660 | $121,475 | $156,290 | $96,182 | 640 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $60,510 | $70,910 | $86,510 | $109,980 | $133,450 | $70,678 | 470 |
| Chicago, IL | $62,470 | $72,082 | $86,500 | $117,550 | $148,600 | $80,615 | 3,680 |
| Houston, TX | $60,120 | $70,624 | $86,380 | $128,980 | $171,580 | $89,513 | 2,500 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $58,500 | $69,436 | $85,840 | $107,565 | $129,290 | $84,655 | 580 |
| Kansas City, MO | $57,270 | $68,514 | $85,380 | $112,310 | $139,240 | $89,497 | 0 |
| Rochester, NY | $60,800 | $70,472 | $84,980 | $122,465 | $159,950 | $91,475 | 170 |
| Albany, NY | $54,210 | $66,182 | $84,140 | $105,280 | $126,420 | $83,555 | 430 |
| Raleigh, NC | $49,740 | $63,296 | $83,630 | $115,300 | $146,970 | $83,798 | 220 |
| Des Moines, IA | $39,800 | $57,244 | $83,410 | $112,185 | $140,960 | $89,400 | 190 |
| Memphis, TN | $52,170 | $64,550 | $83,120 | $114,195 | $145,270 | $98,952 | 180 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $52,920 | $64,776 | $82,560 | $103,240 | $123,920 | $89,447 | 430 |
| Spokane, WA | $60,770 | $69,462 | $82,500 | $102,410 | $122,320 | $84,702 | 100 |
| Detroit, MI | $65,180 | $71,744 | $81,590 | $116,060 | $150,530 | $85,794 | 530 |
| Louisville, KY | $63,890 | $70,946 | $81,530 | $100,375 | $119,220 | $90,388 | 280 |
| Greensboro, NC | $59,110 | $67,586 | $80,300 | $104,655 | $129,010 | $87,952 | 120 |
| Tampa, FL | $47,530 | $60,494 | $79,940 | $105,715 | $131,490 | $80,261 | 1,940 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $50,620 | $62,072 | $79,250 | $104,070 | $128,890 | $83,333 | 1,120 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $52,620 | $63,248 | $79,190 | $104,420 | $129,650 | $78,640 | 1,880 |
| Nashville, TN | $46,150 | $59,346 | $79,140 | $104,490 | $129,840 | $78,903 | 450 |
| Providence, RI | $61,110 | $67,826 | $77,900 | $116,525 | $155,150 | $65,243 | 400 |
| Atlanta, GA | $52,350 | $62,414 | $77,510 | $106,150 | $134,790 | $78,135 | 3,250 |
| Miami, FL | $47,220 | $58,892 | $76,400 | $101,025 | $125,650 | $62,063 | 1,910 |
| Orlando, FL | $45,830 | $57,894 | $75,990 | $102,225 | $128,460 | $73,705 | 910 |
| Madison, WI | $51,360 | $61,076 | $75,650 | $96,820 | $117,990 | $72,881 | 880 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $48,760 | $59,256 | $75,000 | $116,375 | $157,750 | $79,787 | 250 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $52,000 | $61,140 | $74,850 | $88,905 | $102,960 | $76,848 | 1,310 |
| Reno, NV | $63,360 | $67,660 | $74,110 | $114,935 | $155,760 | $69,587 | 50 |
| Greenville, SC | $52,170 | $60,614 | $73,280 | $99,895 | $126,510 | $81,332 | 250 |
| San Antonio, TX | $57,840 | $63,860 | $72,890 | $100,895 | $128,900 | $79,661 | 1,290 |
| Tulsa, OK | $57,590 | $63,626 | $72,680 | $89,810 | $106,940 | $83,733 | 80 |
| Lexington, KY | $58,970 | $64,382 | $72,500 | $89,370 | $106,240 | $79,409 | 140 |
| St. Louis, MO | $49,180 | $54,968 | $63,650 | $94,725 | $125,800 | $70,722 | 900 |
| Little Rock, AR | $48,520 | $53,176 | $60,160 | $79,205 | $98,250 | $68,209 | 100 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $41,680 | $46,500 | $53,730 | $69,030 | $84,330 | $62,116 | 1,670 |
What Employers Actually Pay Operations Research Analysts (H-1B Filings)
BLS figures are survey estimates. When employers sponsor foreign workers they must file the wage they actually pay. Across 208 certified H-1B applications for this occupation (U.S. DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data), employers reported a median wage of $138,387 — 52% above the BLS all-worker median of $90,762. H-1B roles skew toward senior, specialized positions at large employers in high-cost metros, so they typically run above the broad BLS figure.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) H-1B LCA disclosure data. Figures are application-weighted across certified filings for SOC 15-2031.
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Operations Research Analyst & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Operations Research Analyst, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Operations Research Analyst prevailing wage in Colorado Springs, CO →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Operations Research Analyst is $90,762 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $102,970. Salaries range from $53,730 to $140,590 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level operations research analysts (10th percentile) earn about $61,502 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $90,762, $126,195 at the 75th percentile, and $156,404 for the top 10% of earners.
The median operations research analyst earns about $44/hour, based on the $90,762 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Colorado Springs, CO, CO posts the highest median for Operations Research Analyst at $140,590, well above the national median of $90,762. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 77,630 Operations Research Analyst positions in the US across 68 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile operations research analyst earns $156,404 — about 2.5× the $61,502 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.