Operations Research degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in operations research earn a median $145,296 four years after finishing, across 4 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in industrial and manufacturing engineering earn $88,300, $26,251 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is industrial engineers, including health and safety (13%).
Median across 4 colleges; middle half $138,883–$151,709.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $56,977–$112,426. 1,722 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Industrial And Manufacturing Engineering"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$52,662/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs operations research graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in industrial and manufacturing engineering actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineers, Including Health And Safety | 13% | $102,670 | +12.0% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 6% | — | — | — | — |
| Other Engineers | 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Management Analysts | 4% | $101,860 | +10.1% | Bachelor's degree | CIE |
| Mechanical Engineers | 3% | $104,110 | +11.2% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Project Management Specialists | 3% | $102,320 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Software Developers | 3% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Civil Engineers | 2% | $100,840 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
These 8 jobs account for 40% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Operations Research earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | — | $112,165 (184) |
| Florida | — | $53,696 (145) |
| Georgia | — | $89,205 (100) |
| Texas | — | $78,204 (201) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where operations research graduates earn the most
The highest graduate earnings among the 15 colleges we cover that offer this major. Pick your state in the table above, or open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkNY | $167,572 | — |
| 2 | Cornell UniversityNY | $151,709 | $15,000 |
| 3 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $138,883 | — |
| 4 | California State University-NorthridgeCA | $74,344 | $15,000 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Operations Research degree questions
How much do Operations Research graduates make?
Operations Research graduates earn a median $145,296 four years after finishing, across 4 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $138,883 to $151,709; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in industrial and manufacturing engineering, the median is $88,300 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Operations Research degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in industrial and manufacturing engineering earn a median $88,300: $26,251 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $52,662 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Operations Research graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in industrial and manufacturing engineering, the most common jobs are industrial engineers, including health and safety (13%), other managers (6%), other engineers (5%). Industrial Engineers, Including Health And Safety earn a U.S. median $102,670.
Census field of degree matched to this major by EducationGuide (Operations Research -> Industrial And Manufacturing Engineering).
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
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Cite this: “Operations Research degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/operations-research.