Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

15-2031 Operations Research Analysts

Formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists management with decision making, policy formulation, or other managerial functions. May collect and analyze data and develop decision support software, service, or products. May develop and supply optimal time, cost, or logistics networks for program evaluation, review, or implementation.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
65,030 2.1 % $37.90 $78,840 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $19.53 $25.30 $34.59 $46.68 $60.58
Annual Wage (2) $40,620 $52,620 $71,950 $97,090 $126,000


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 5,550 0.37 $40.64 $84,530
Management of Companies and Enterprises 5,150 0.27 $36.21 $75,310
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 4,880 0.46 $40.68 $84,610
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,510 0.22 $51.72 $107,580
Insurance Carriers 4,050 0.35 $35.00 $72,800

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 250 1.24 $40.42 $84,060
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 1,560 0.65 $38.46 $80,000
Activities Related to Credit Intermediation 1,220 0.47 $33.41 $69,500
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 4,880 0.46 $40.68 $84,610
Nondepository Credit Intermediation 2,600 0.46 $34.10 $70,920

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage 2,090 0.45 $54.98 $114,360
Other Financial Investment Activities 970 0.28 $54.27 $112,880
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 4,510 0.22 $51.72 $107,580
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 310 0.19 $50.01 $104,030
Software Publishers 440 0.17 $45.92 $95,520


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 7,860 0.56 1.10 $40.86 $84,980
Florida 6,870 0.96 1.90 $27.18 $56,530
Texas 5,360 0.52 1.03 $36.32 $75,540
Virginia 4,390 1.24 2.44 $46.91 $97,570
New York 4,070 0.48 0.95 $56.38 $117,270




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,750 2.72 5.36 $46.35 $96,410
Virginia 4,390 1.24 2.44 $46.91 $97,570
Maryland 2,440 0.99 1.94 $42.11 $87,590
Florida 6,870 0.96 1.90 $27.18 $56,530
Massachusetts 2,510 0.79 1.57 $38.69 $80,470




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 4,070 0.48 0.95 $56.38 $117,270
Virginia 4,390 1.24 2.44 $46.91 $97,570
District of Columbia 1,750 2.72 5.36 $46.35 $96,410
Maryland 2,440 0.99 1.94 $42.11 $87,590
New Jersey 850 0.23 0.45 $41.48 $86,280





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 5,230 2.26 4.47 $47.65 $99,100
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,110 0.61 1.21 $63.24 $131,540
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,010 1.20 2.37 $38.77 $80,630
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,750 0.86 1.69 $34.90 $72,590
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,510 0.88 1.74 $36.87 $76,700
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 1,490 1.09 2.15 $42.22 $87,830
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 1,400 1.73 3.42 $36.35 $75,600
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,390 0.62 1.23 $34.78 $72,350
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,370 0.36 0.71 $40.56 $84,370
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1,330 1.21 2.38 $25.82 $53,700




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Tallahassee, FL 590 3.75 7.39 $22.14 $46,040
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 190 2.56 5.05 $41.88 $87,120
Huntsville, AL 460 2.29 4.53 $44.98 $93,560
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 5,230 2.26 4.47 $47.65 $99,100
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 1,400 1.73 3.42 $36.35 $75,600
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 480 1.51 2.98 $29.09 $60,510
Columbus, OH 1,210 1.35 2.67 $30.88 $64,230
Colorado Springs, CO 300 1.25 2.46 $48.34 $100,560
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1,330 1.21 2.38 $25.82 $53,700
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,010 1.20 2.37 $38.77 $80,630




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,110 0.61 1.21 $63.24 $131,540
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 50 0.31 0.60 $55.54 $115,520
Bakersfield-Delano, CA 120 0.46 0.90 $52.87 $109,960
Salinas, CA (8) (8) (8) $50.22 $104,450
Colorado Springs, CO 300 1.25 2.46 $48.34 $100,560
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 30 0.20 0.40 $47.68 $99,180
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 5,230 2.26 4.47 $47.65 $99,100
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division 70 0.18 0.36 $47.10 $97,960
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY (8) (8) (8) $46.65 $97,030
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 850 0.97 1.92 $45.79 $95,230

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 270 6.49 12.80 $49.21 $102,350
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 140 2.87 5.67 $51.31 $106,730
Northeast Florida nonmetropolitan area 80 0.56 1.10 $25.57 $53,190
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 80 0.34 0.67 $36.88 $76,710
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 60 0.27 0.53 $27.70 $57,610

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 270 6.49 12.80 $49.21 $102,350
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 140 2.87 5.67 $51.31 $106,730
East Idaho nonmetropolitan area 30 0.71 1.39 (8) (8)
Northeast Florida nonmetropolitan area 80 0.56 1.10 $25.57 $53,190
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 60 0.49 0.97 $24.08 $50,080

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 140 2.87 5.67 $51.31 $106,730
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 270 6.49 12.80 $49.21 $102,350
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $46.00 $95,680
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 80 0.34 0.67 $36.88 $76,710
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 60 0.30 0.59 $33.69 $70,070


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012