Operations Research
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Operations Research occupation series (code 1515): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 4,562 employees (0.2% of the federal civilian workforce), Operations Research ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Mathematics and Statistics Group family, and headcount declined 7.4% from the prior period. Its average salary of $162,234 pays well above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 4,562
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $162,234
- Avg tenure
- 14.2 yrs
FedScope read on Operations Research (dense series)
0.2% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Operations Research occupation (OPM code 1515): 4,562 people, headcount down -7.4% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Operations Research runs 14.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $162,234 per year, down -0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
The Mathematics and Statistics Group family (code 15) groups Operations Research together with 10 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Operations Research postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Mathematics and Statistics Group family.
Within the Mathematics and Statistics Group family, Operations Research is one of the top 11 occupations by headcount (#2), accounting for 20.7% of the family's combined 22,044 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (64th percentile) of pay among Mathematics and Statistics Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Operations Research pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$162,234
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+38.3%
Where Operations Research ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $162,234 is higher than 95% of federal occupation series (513 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Operations Research sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Operations Research ranks higher than 95%.
Related Occupations in Mathematics and Statistics Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 10,070 | $158,879 | 11 yrs |
| Statistics | 2,962 | $140,330 | 14.3 yrs |
| Mathematical Statistics | 1,332 | $159,420 | 14.3 yrs |
| Data Science Series | 1,092 | $146,079 | 8 yrs |
| Mathematics | 979 | $177,549 | 13.2 yrs |
| Mathematics and Statistics Student Trainee | 372 | $47,225 | 0.9 yrs |
| Statistical Assistant | 336 | $52,435 | 15.2 yrs |
| Actuarial Science | 233 | $167,765 | 17.4 yrs |
| General Mathematics and Statistics | 105 | $211,381 | 16.3 yrs |
| Cryptanalysis | 1 | $158,322 | 29.7 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Operations Research outside the Mathematics and Statistics Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (4,562 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($162,234 here).
Key takeaways
- Operations Research pays well above the federal average by 38.3% ($162,234 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 95th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 4,562 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 7.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Operations Research ranks #94 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Mathematics and Statistics Group family, Operations Research is one of the top 11 occupations by headcount (#2), accounting for 20.7% of the family's combined 22,044 employees.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.