+21%Growth 2024–34
7Traits it runs on
Mathematics & AnalyticsFamily
What the work is worth. How many nurses on a shift, where an ambulance waits, how food reaches a shelter — operations research decides with math what used to be guessed.
An ordinary day. Model complex decisions — routing, scheduling, staffing, supply — with optimization and simulation, then recommend the best option and defend it.
The path in. Bachelor's in operations research, math, engineering, or analytics; master's common.
From zero. The STEM Farm Data / Analytics / AI Operations track starts at zero-STEM intake and ends in this kind of work, with verified proof at every gate.
Take the STEM Compass assessmentZero to Operations Research Analyst →
The personality behind the work
- Numbers & Data Affinity. You like living in numbers, tables, and measurements; quantitative work feels natural.
- Abstract & Systems Thinking. You can hold an invisible system in your head — logic flows, data moving between parts, cause and effect you cannot see.
- Communication. You can turn a complex finding into a clear story for people who do not share your training.
- Practicality. You are drawn to building functional things — physical or digital — that work in the real world.
- Skepticism. You question whether the data is accurate, complete, or biased before you trust any conclusion.
- Collaboration. You work well inside large teams with strict deadlines and shared ownership.
- Curiosity. You want to find the hidden pattern in raw numbers. A pile of data is a mystery you want to solve.
The assessment scores each of these traits from 0 to 100 and reports where this role would stretch you as well as where you already meet it.
Other careers in Mathematics & Analytics
Operations Research Analyst by labor market
Every commuting zone in the country, biggest first. Each page carries that market's real economy and the counties inside it.
Newark, NJNew York, NYLos Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CAChicago, ILDallas, TXFort Worth, TXHouston, TXAtlanta, GAWashington, DCMiami, FLPhiladelphia, PAPhoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZBoston, MA–NHSan Francisco–Oakland, CADetroit, MISeattle–Tacoma, WAMinneapolis, MNTampa–St. Petersburg, FLSan Diego, CADenver–Aurora, COOrlando, FLCharlotte, NC–SCBaltimore, MDSt. Louis, MOSan Antonio, TXAustin, TXPortland, OR–WASacramento, CAPittsburgh, PALas Vegas–Henderson–Paradise, NVCincinnati, OH–KYKansas City, MO–KSColumbus, OHIndianapolis, INNashville-Davidson, TNMurfreesboro, TNCleveland, OHSan Jose, CAVirginia Beach, VANewport News, VAJacksonville, FLProvidence, RI–MARaleigh, NCMilwaukee, WIOklahoma City, OKLouisville/Jefferson County, KY–INRichmond, VAMemphis, TN–MS–ARSalt Lake City, UTFresno, CABirmingham, ALGrand Rapids, MIHartford, CTBuffalo, NYTucson, AZTulsa, OKRochester, NYGreenville, SCOmaha, NE–IANew Orleans, LAKnoxville, TNBradenton–Sarasota–Venice, FLBakersfield, CAAlbuquerque, NMMcAllen, TXAlbany–Schenectady, NYCharleston, SCBaton Rouge, LAAllentown–Bethlehem, PA–NJEl Paso, TX–NMColumbia, SCCape Coral, FLLakeland, FLBoise City, IDDayton, OHStockton, CAColorado Springs, COLittle Rock, ARDes Moines, IADaytona Beach–Palm Coast–Port Orange, FLWinston-Salem, NCMadison, WIWichita, KSSyracuse, NYAugusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GAFayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR–MOHarrisburg, PAJackson, MSSpokane, WAToledo, OH–MIChattanooga, TN–GAReno, NV–CAPortland, MEScranton, PAPort St. Lucie, FLHuntsville, ALPensacola, FL–ALLexington-Fayette, KYKilleen, TXSpringfield, MOWilmington, NCLansing, MIFort Wayne, INSpringfield, MA–CTSanta Barbara, CASavannah, GABrownsville, TXNashua, NH–MAGulfport–Biloxi, MSMyrtle Beach–North Myrtle Beach, SC–NCLafayette, LAYoungstown, OHAsheville, NCMobile, ALSpartanburg, SCAnchorage, AKCanton, OHTrenton, NJTallahassee, FLFayetteville, NCMontgomery, ALShreveport, LAEugene, ORDavenport, IA–ILFort Collins, COHickory, NCLubbock, TXHuntington, WV–KY–OHPeoria, ILGainesville, FLLincoln, NEClarksville, TN–KYRockford, ILGreen Bay, WIColumbus, GA–ALSouth Bend, IN–MIKennewick–Richland–Pasco, WARoanoke, VASioux Falls, SDLongview, TXCollege Station–Bryan, TXTuscaloosa, ALDuluth, MN–WICedar Rapids, IAAmarillo, TXEvansville, INFargo, ND–MNLynchburg, VABend, ORErie, PAKalamazoo, MIYakima, WAPrescott–Prescott Valley, AZTyler, TXAppleton, WILake Charles, LABinghamton, NYChampaign, ILFort Smith, AR–OKTopeka, KSRochester, MNPanama City–Panama City Beach, FLCharlottesville, VALafayette, INBurlington, VTGainesville, GAYuma, AZ–CAAthens-Clarke County, GAMonroe, LAMedford, ORColumbia, MOJacksonville, NCJohnson City, TNSt. George, UTJoplin, MOWarner Robins, GASpringfield, ILSt. Cloud, MNCharleston, WVHouma, LABowling Green, KYDover, DEBillings, MTCoeur d'Alene, IDSaginaw, MIBurlington, NCAbilene, TXJackson, TNGreenville, NCRedding, CAEau Claire, WIIdaho Falls, IDOdessa, TXLa Crosse, WI–MNTerre Haute, INWaterloo, IABloomington, INGrand Junction, COLogan, UTKahului–Wailuku, HIJackson, MIHattiesburg, MSBangor, MEState College, PATraverse City–Garfield, MIRapid City, SDDothan, ALValdosta, GAWichita Falls, TXRocky Mount, NCAlexandria, LADalton, GATexarkana, TX–ARSioux City, IA–NE–SDAlbany, GAMorgantown, WVHarrisonburg, VABismarck, NDJonesboro, ARWausau, WIManhattan, KSMorristown, TNBozeman, MTMissoula, MTElizabethtown–Radcliff, KYWenatchee, WAPittsfield, MAAmes, IAMansfield, OHTwin Falls, IDSan Angelo, TXFarmington, NMAltoona, PASt. Joseph, MO–KSBrunswick–St. Simons, GASheboygan, WIAnniston–Oxford, ALOwensboro, KYMuncie, INSandusky–Port Clinton, OHWilliamsport, PASteubenville–Weirton, OH–WV–PAWatertown, NYBeckley, WVKankakee, ILGrand Forks, ND–MNMankato, MNGadsden, ALCheyenne, WYPaducah, KY–ILLima, OHVictoria, TXHot Springs, ARDubuque, IA–ILDecatur, ILCape Girardeau, MO–ILFairbanks, AKPocatello, IDParkersburg, WV–OHColumbus, INGreat Falls, MTCasper, WYElmira, NYGrand Island, NEMinot, NDLewiston, ID–WAEnid, OKEagle Pass, TXTupelo, MSKearney, NEArdmore, OKCookeville, TNLebanon, NH–VTLeesburg, VAMarion–Herrin, ILMason City, IAOttumwa, IAWillmar, MNClovis, NMMeridian, MSMilledgeville, GAPikeville, KYPine Bluff, ARRichmond, KYRoanoke Rapids, NCAlexandria, MNBardstown, KYCreston, IADublin, GAFarmville, VAGranite City, ILHazard, KYHelena-West Helena, ARHenderson, KYHilton Head Island, SCMarion, VAMcComb, MSMount Sterling, KYQuincy, ILSnyder, TXStarkville, MSTifton, GAYonkers, NYAlamosa, COBartlesville, OKBrainerd, MNBrookings, SDBrownwood, TXBurlington, IA–ILColumbia, TNCumberland, MD–WV–PADickinson, NDElko, NVFarmington, MOFredericksburg, VAGarden City, KSGreendale–Lawrenceburg–Hidden Valley, IN–OHGreenville, MSGreenville, TXHays, KSHoughton Lake, MIKirksville, MOLake City, FLLas Vegas, NMMilbank, SDMitchell, SDNorfolk, NENorth Platte, NEOxford, MSRice Lake, WISafford, AZSedalia, MOTallulah, LAWaynesville, NCWest Plains, MOAberdeen, SDAlliance, NEAmericus, GABatesville, ARBluefield, WV–VABradford, PA–NYCadillac, MICentralia, ILChamberlain, SDColumbus, NEDe Queen, ARDodge City, KSDouglas, GADumas, TXEdwards–Avon, COEvanston, WYFindlay, OHFort Leonard Wood–St. Robert–Waynesville, MOGermantown, MDGraham, TXHammond, INHastings, NEHutchinson, KSMarinette–Menominee, WI–MIMaysville, KY–OHMcCook, NENatchez, MS–LAO'Neill, NEOlney, ILOrd, NEPlainview, TXPortsmouth, OH–KYSomerset, KYStorm Lake, IAWarrenton–New Baltimore, VAWashington, NCWilliston, NDWorthington, MNYankton, SDAlice, TXAlpena, MIAltus, OKAndalusia, ALAndrews, NCAthens, OHBeloit, KSBoone, NCBowman, NDBroken Bow, NECarrington, NDChillicothe, MOColby, KSConcordia, KSDanville, KYDenison, IAEl Dorado, ARElkins, WVEmporia, KSFalls City, NEFort Dodge, IAGallup, NMGlasgow, KYGrafton, NDGreenwood, MSGuymon, OKHarrisburg, ILJamestown, NDLamar, COLiberal, KSLisbon, NDLufkin, TXMarquette, MIMcAlester, OKMexia, TXMiami, OKMoberly, MOMobridge, SDMuskogee, OKNacogdoches, TXNebraska City, NEOsceola, IAOtsego, MNPampa, TXParsons, KSPierre, SDPlatteville, WIPlattsburgh, NYPoplar Bluff, MOPratt, KSRichfield, UTSalina, KSScott City, KSSidney, NESioux Center, IASpirit Lake, IASterling, COTappahannock, VAThe Dalles, ORTrenton, MOValentine, NEWeatherford, OKWise–Norton, VAWoodstock, GAWoodward, OKAberdeen, WAAlpine, TXAshland, WIBlytheville, ARBrady, TXChildress, TXColstrip, MTCovington, VADecorah, IADevils Lake, NDDyersburg, TNGillette, WYGlasgow, MTGonzales, TXGreat Bend, KSGreensburg, INHamilton, ALHarrison, ARHeber Springs, ARHobbs, NMHoughton–Hancock, MIHugoton, KSIowa Falls, IAIronwood, MI–WIJackson, WYKalispell, MTKenai, AKKerrville, TXKlamath Falls–Altamont, ORLaramie, WYLexington, VALogansport, INMartinsville, VAMaryville, MOMiddlesborough, KY–TNMiles City, MTMountain Home, ARNorton, KSParis, TNParkston, SDPetoskey, MIRhinelander, WIRichmond, IN–OHRiverton, WYRugby, NDRussellville, ARSault Ste. Marie, MISearcy, ARShelby, MTSheridan, WYSteamboat Springs, COStillwater, OKSusanville, CASweetwater, TXUvalde, TXVernal, UTVernon, TXVillage of Four Seasons, MOVincennes, INWashington Court House, OHAlamogordo, NMAtwood, KSBaker, MTBurley, IDBurlington, COChincoteague, VACody, WYCondon, ORCrescent City, CACrossville, TNGoodland, KSGunnison, COJuneau, AKKeene, NHLa Grande, ORLewistown, MTLivingston, MTLudington, MIMagnolia, ARMcCall, IDMoab, UTMoses Lake, WANevada, MONewport, ORNorth Eagle Butte, SDPhilip, SDPlentywood, MTPrice, UTRock Springs, WYRoseau, MNRoseburg, ORRoswell, NMSalmon, IDSeminole, TXSequim, WASummersville, WVToms River, NJTorrington, WYTrinidad, COUkiah, CAValley City, NDWinner, SDAkutan, AKBethel, AKBuffalo, SDBurns, ORChester, MTDelta, UTDillingham, AKDillon, MTEastpoint, FLEnterprise, OREureka, CAFort Stockton, TXFriday Harbor, WAGrand Marais, MNHaines, AKHarlan, KYHilo, HIHonolulu, HIHooper Bay, AKHyannis, NEInternational Falls, MNJohn Day, ORJordan, MTKapaa, HIKetchikan, AKKodiak–Mill Bay, AKKotzebue, AKLakeview, ORMalta, MTMatador, TXMetlakatla, AKNantucket, MANome, AKPetersburg, AKPresque Isle, MESalida, COSanderson, TXSitka, AKSkagway, AKTaos, NMThompson Falls, MTUnalaska, AKUtqiaġvik, AKVineyard Haven–Edgartown–Oak Bluffs, MAWinnett, MTWrangell city and, AKZapata–Medina, TX
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Questions people ask
What traits does a operations research analyst need?
Numbers & data affinity, abstract & systems thinking, communication, practicality, skepticism, collaboration and curiosity. STEM Compass scores each of them and shows your gap or margin on every one.
How fast is operations research analyst employment growing?
+21% between 2024 and 2034 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.
How do I start from zero?
The STEM Farm Data / Analytics / AI Operations track begins at zero-STEM intake — no degree, no experience assumed — and ends in this kind of work with verified proof at every gate.
Sources. Career traits, education paths and value lines are the STEM Compass assessment library. Employment growth is U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024–2034. County economic types are USDA Economic Research Service County Typology Codes (2025); labor markets are Census commuting zones (2020). Salary is not shown anywhere in this campaign on purpose: the assessment measures fit and what the work is worth to the world.