As of August 2026,
Operations Research Analysts has an AI-exposure score of 61/100
(Elevated exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index. This is an estimate of task
exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Score inputs for this role:
This role starts from O*NET 29.1 occupational descriptors and is empirically grounded by Penn/OpenAI GPTs are GPTs study, Anthropic Economic Index (June 26, 2026), Felten, Raj and Seamans AIOE index. BLS labor-market figures are separate context, not score inputs.
Operations Research Analysts
More exposed than 68% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$88,940. About 9,600 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 - growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) - your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
Will AI replace Operations Research Analysts?
No exposure score can predict whether AI will replace this role. The 61/100 score means our current model estimates elevated task exposure from the sources listed on this page. It does not predict an employer decision, headcount, or an individual outcome. The task map below shows the work assessed and where human judgment remains important.
Early-career context (study ages 22-25)
This role is in the Elevated exposure band, but its assessed task mix is not automation-heavy. The study found the decline concentrated where AI was more likely to automate rather than augment work, so the headline figure should not be applied directly.
The November 2025 revision reports a 16% relative employment decline for workers ages 22-25 in the most AI-exposed U.S. occupations, after firm-level controls, relative to workers in less-exposed fields and more experienced workers in the same occupations.
Use the task map to identify durable work and the skills worth building early.
Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Canaries in the Coal Mine - November 2025 revision
This is group-level U.S. payroll evidence, not a personal forecast. The authors do not claim that AI alone caused the change, and this context does not alter the exposure score.
How this role compares to similar Computer & Mathematical roles
What this role usually involves
Formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists management with decisionmaking, policy formulation, or other managerial functions. May collect and analyze data and develop decision support software, services, or products. May develop and supply optimal time, cost, or logistics networks for program evaluation, review, or implementation.
Broad guidance for this preparation level; exact requirements vary by role and employer.
Source: O*NET 29.1 exact occupation - Operations Research Analysts, SOC 15-2031.00. Context describes the role; the AI-exposure score remains a separate task-exposure estimate.
Operations Research Analysts tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role - its individually-assessed tasks split 71% durable / 29% augmentable.
- Develop business methods and procedures, including accounting systems, file systems, office systems, logistics systems, and production schedules.
- Observe the current system in operation, and gather and analyze information about each of the component problems, using a variety of sources.
- Define data requirements, and gather and validate information, applying judgment and statistical tests.
- Develop and apply time and cost networks to plan, control, and review large projects.
We analyzed all 17 Operations Research Analysts tasks - 5 augmentable and 12 durable. The full task map - every task with exactly what to do about each - is in your Career Report.
Your report unlocks three concrete artifacts
Every task scored with what to automate, augment, or protect.
Related roles with exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability. Lower-exposure options appear only when the data supports them.
A keepable roadmap plus resume and LinkedIn repositioning.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate - not generic advice.
Adjacent career paths
No evidence-backed lower-exposure match appears in this O*NET adjacency set. The adjacent paths below remain useful comparisons; the strongest resilience moves are task-level.
Develop business methods and procedures, including accounting systems, file systems, office systems, logistics systems, and production schedules.
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it; adjacent paths with honest exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability; a skill-gap map; a 30/60/90-day roadmap; Agent Reality Check; plus a résumé and LinkedIn rewrite and professional PDF.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate.
Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium - adapting pays. - PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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Operations Research Analysts - median pay by US state (BLS OEWS, USD)
Median annual wage, in USD. US national: US$88,940. More states are being added.