That’s a growth rate of 26%, “much faster than average,” as the BLS puts it. in 2018, and it expects 28,100 more to be added by 2028.

OR is just about everywhere, and its reach will only expand: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 109,700 operations research analyst jobs in the U.S. The bigger and more complex the system, the more it needs skilled people to crunch data to make good decisions.Ī simple Google News search about operations research returns stories about video game engagement, ridesharing, transit, and Facebook comment moderation, for example. Because of that, adds Kansas State, OR models are used “in nearly every sector of society because people recognize that inferior solutions waste money, time, and effort.” “Nearly every sector” is correct – operations research is particularly useful for the air-travel industry, telecommunications, banking and financial companies, manufacturing, government agencies, consulting… the list goes on and on. “The strength and versatility of OR stems from its diagnostic power through observation and modeling, as well as from its prescriptive power through analysis and synthesis,” says North Carolina State.

What kind of advanced analytical methods? MIT has a short list: optimization, statistics, machine learning, and probability.

Put simply, operations research (OR) uses advanced analytical methods for better decision making, particularly within complex systems. And like a lot of other important fields, the vague-sounding name belies the expansive reach of an industry that touches large swaths of modern life. Like a lot of areas of study, “operations research” can sound a little nebulous on its face.

Operational research course