How To Become An Operations Research Analyst

The Operations Research Analyst Career At A Glance

• The core task: present the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users. It heads the task list in the next section.
• Typical entry education: bachelor's degree. 43% of survey respondents say a new hire needs a master’s degree.
• Related work experience at entry: none. On-the-job training: none.
• Median pay: $88,940. The 10th to 90th percentiles run $57,060 to $159,910.
• Projected change through 2035: 11.9%. Annual openings: about 7,500.

What Does An Operations Research Analyst Do?

Operations research analysts use mathematical modeling and statistics to answer operational questions: how many trucks, which routes, what schedule, how much stock. The work runs from defining what data is needed and checking it, through building and testing the model, to presenting the result to managers in terms they can act on.

It is not a supply chain job only. OEWS counts operations research analysts across finance, insurance, consulting and government, and supply chain is one application among several. For a supply chain graduate it is the most quantitative route on this list.

The tasks O*NET rates most important for operations research analysts:

• Present the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
• Define data requirements, and gather and validate information, applying judgment and statistical tests.
• Perform validation and testing of models to ensure adequacy, and reformulate models, as necessary.
• Prepare management reports defining and evaluating problems and recommending solutions.
• Collaborate with others in the organization to ensure successful implementation of chosen problem solutions.
• Formulate mathematical or simulation models of problems, relating constants and variables, restrictions, alternatives, conflicting objectives, and their numerical parameters.

Job titles in the same O*NET occupation: Advanced Analytics Associate, Analytical Strategist, Decision Analyst, Operations Research Analyst, Operations Research Scientist, Optimization Analyst and Researcher. Source: O*NET OnLine, 15-2031.00, read 2026-09-23.

A Typical Week For An Operations Research Analyst

Operations research analysts use mathematics and logic to help organizations make decisions. A project starts with defining the problem or the process to improve, then collecting data and interviewing the clients, workers or experts involved.

The analysis itself breaks the problem into parts with statistical and database software and techniques such as forecasting and data mining, then tests how each part responds to change. The Handbook’s example is an airline: scheduling flights and setting fares means modeling cities, fuel, passengers, pilot schedules and maintenance costs together.

The job ends in a recommendation. Analysts write memos and reports, lay out the alternatives with their costs and benefits, and help managers reach a decision. The Handbook lists allocating resources, building production schedules, overseeing the supply chain and setting prices among the decisions they support.

Main Responsibilities

• Identify problems in business, logistics, healthcare and other fields
• Collect and organize data from databases, sales histories and customer feedback
• Gather input from workers and subject-matter experts
• Develop and test quantitative models and analytical tools
• Write reports explaining findings and recommendations for decision makers

Who They Work With

Managers and executives, who receive the recommendations, and teams: the Handbook says analysts typically work on teams and have to persuade decision makers to accept their findings.

Where And When They Work

Office settings, with travel to gather information, observe processes, meet clients or attend conferences. Most work full time. Some federal analysts work for the Department of Defense, directly or through consulting firms, and some positions need a security clearance.

The biggest employers of operations research analysts, by the Handbook's count: finance and insurance (26%), professional, scientific, and technical services (22%), management of companies and enterprises (9%), federal government (6%) and manufacturing (4%).

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Operations Research Analysts, What They Do and Work Environment. Employer shares are of the occupation's jobs in 2025, from Employment Projections data, and include the self-employed. Read 2026-09-23.

Operations Research Analyst Salary

The median for operations research analysts is $88,940 a year. The middle half earns $68,360 to $125,990, and the full range runs from $57,060 at the 10th percentile to $159,910 at the 90th, across 108,510 jobs. The operations research analyst salary page breaks that down by state, metro area, industry and employer type.

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national. Read 2026-09-23.

How To Become An Operations Research Analyst

This is the one career here where a master’s is the most common answer: more O*NET respondents said a new hire needs a master’s than a bachelor’s. A supply chain master’s fits when it is quantitative, and our master’s ranking flags which programs are STEM-designated.

What BLS Says Entry Takes

At least a bachelor’s degree, and some employers require or prefer a master’s. The Handbook notes some analysts are veterans of the armed forces.

Majors

Operations research or a related field such as business, mathematics, engineering or computer science, with extensive math coursework and computer science for the statistical and database software, according to the Handbook.

Degree Levels That Lead In

• Master’s. More O*NET respondents named a master’s than any other level. A quantitative, STEM-designated supply chain master’s is one route; our ranking flags the designation. See the master’s in supply chain management ranking.
• Online master’s. The same degree while working, for analysts moving over from a logistics or planning role. See the online master’s in supply chain management ranking.

What O*NET's respondents in the occupation said a new hire needs:

Sources: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (entry requirements); O*NET OnLine, 15-2031.00, education section, top three answers. The O*NET figures are survey responses from workers in the occupation, not a legal requirement.

Operations Research Analyst Career Path

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One; titles from O*NET OnLine and the Handbook.

Related Supply Chain Careers

• Supply Chain Analyst. The data-focused supply chain role, with less modeling and more tracking.
• Logistician. The Handbook lists overseeing the supply chain among the decisions operations research supports.
• Supply Chain Manager. The decision maker operations research analysts advise in supply chain settings.

Skills And Software Operations Research Analysts Use

The qualities the Handbook names as important for operations research analysts:

• Math. The models rest on statistics, calculus and linear algebra.
• Analysis. Forecasting and data mining to interpret data.
• Communication. Presenting technical results to people who are not technical.
• Critical thinking. Organizing information and connecting ideas and facts.
• Interpersonal skills. Working on teams and persuading managers to act on a recommendation.

O*NET lists the software the occupation uses and flags the technologies employers name most often in their job postings. For operations research analysts, the ones it marks as in demand are Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, Salesforce software, Structured query language SQL, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel.

Source: O*NET OnLine, 15-2031.00, Software Skills. "In demand" and "hot" are O*NET's own flags, based on how often employers name the technology in job postings. Read 2026-09-23.

Job Outlook For Operations Research Analysts

BLS projects employment of operations research analysts to grow 11.9% over 2025 to 2035, from 113,100 to 126,600 jobs. That is faster than the 3.5% projected for all occupations.

BLS expects about 7,500 openings a year. Of those, 3,100 (41%) replace people leaving the labor force, 3,000 (40%) replace people moving to other occupations, and 1,400 (19%) are new jobs. The operations research analyst salary page sets out what BLS says is driving demand.

Sources: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35; EP Table 1.10. New jobs is total openings minus separations. Read 2026-09-23.

FAQ

Keep Reading

Operations Research Analyst Salary

Pay for operations research analysts by state, metro area and industry.

Master’s In Supply Chain Management, Ranked

Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.

Online Master’s In Supply Chain Management, Ranked

Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.

All Supply Chain Careers

13 careers, each tied to the BLS occupation its pay comes from.

Sources

1. 1 BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Operations Research Analysts Read 2026-09-23.
2. 2 O*NET OnLine, 15-2031.00 Operations Research Analysts Read 2026-09-23.
3. 3 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Operations Research Analysts (SOC 15-2031) Read 2026-09-23.
4. 4 BLS Employment Projections, National Employment Matrix, 2025-35 Read 2026-09-23.
5. 5 BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2 and 1.10, 2025-35 Read 2026-09-23.