Career comparison
Management Analyst vs. Operations Research Analyst
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Management analysts earn more at the median ($101,860 vs. $88,940), while operations research analysts usually get to work faster (Entry-level with a quantitative degree of training). Management analysts help organizations run better by finding and fixing problems. Operations research analysts use math models to help organizations make better decisions.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Management Analyst | Operations Research Analyst | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $101,860 ($48.97/hr) | $88,940 ($42.76/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $60,640 – $171,640 | $57,060 – $159,910 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +10.1% (much faster than average) | +11.9% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 94,100 | 7,500 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | Less than 5 years of experience | Entry-level with a quantitative degree |
| Key credential | CMC | CAP |
| Work setting | Analysts work in offices and at client sites; consultants often travel.. | Analysts work in offices, often remotely.. |
What each job does
Management Analyst
- Gather and analyze data
- Interview staff
- Map processes
- Find inefficiencies
- Recommend solutions
Operations Research Analyst
- Define business problems
- Gather data
- Build optimization models
- Run simulations
- Analyze results
How they’re similar
Both careers involve problem-solving, working with information, in-demand, and high-pay. Both are part of the business & office field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose management analyst if…
- I love solving problems
- I like data
- I enjoy presenting
Choose operations research analyst if…
- I love math puzzles
- I like real-world problems
- I can code
Still torn? Take the Management Analyst fit quiz and the Operations Research Analyst fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, management analyst or operations research analyst?
Management Analysts earn more at the median: $101,860 versus $88,940 for operations research analysts, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Operations Research Analysts typically train faster (Entry-level with a quantitative degree) than management analysts (Less than 5 years of experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects operations research analysts to grow +11.9% from 2025–35, compared with +10.1% for management analysts.