The Promise of Operations Research and Analytics
Math-related fields are frequently cited as those promising the most growth in job openings and salary. The fields of operations research and analytics are no exception. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook*, the median pay for an operations researcher is a healthy $70,960 a year. The number of jobs in the profession was 64,600 in 2010, and that number is expected to grow a healthy 15%, another 9,400, by the year 2020. Careers in operations research provide many opportunities for advancement, and put you at the center of an exciting new world where technical savvy is respected and relied upon.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics**, the work you do in analytics and operations research will challenge you just about every day. You will
- Analyze data and information
- Spend lots of time on your computer with sophisticated math software
- Make decisions and solve problems
- Gather the data you’ll need to solve those problems
- Make full use of your creative thinking abilities
- Interpret the meaning of information for others
- Communicate your results and your recommendations, not only to your colleagues but to your supervisors, and maybe to the highest executives in your organization, as well.
* 2012, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Math/Operations-research-analysts.htm
** http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-2031.00
A Student Describes O.R.
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