Mathematicians vs Operations Research Analysts
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Mathematicians and Operations Research Analysts on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Mathematicians | Operations Research Analysts |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $121,680 | $91,290 |
| Employment | 2,220 | 107,760 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | Declining (-0.7%) | Growing fast (+21.5%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 100 | 9,600 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). | Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | High · 99th pct | High · 90th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 94th pct · 56% of tasks | 94th pct · 56% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | Automation-leaning (52.7%) | Augmentation-leaning (55.2%) |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | Yes | Yes |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Mathematics, Mathematical Reasoning, Mathematics, Number Facility, Critical Thinking, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Category Flexibility, Judgment and Decision Making, Fluency of Ideas, Originality, Problem Sensitivity, Education and Training, Writing, Science, Near Vision, Computers and Electronics, Active Listening, English Language, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Flexibility of Closure, Speech Clarity, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Speech Recognition, Engineering and Technology.
Specific to Mathematicians
- Selective Attention
- Monitoring
- Instructing
- Physics
- Social Perceptiveness
Specific to Operations Research Analysts
- Operations Analysis
- Production and Processing
- Coordination
- Time Management
- Design
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Development environment software , Object or component oriented development software , Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Analytical or scientific software , Operating system software , Enterprise application integration software , Data base user interface and query software , Electronic mail software , Presentation software , Word processing software , Data base management system software , Customer relationship management CRM software , Business intelligence and data analysis software .
Specific to Mathematicians
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Mathematicians or Operations Research Analysts — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
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Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Mathematicians vs Operations Research Analysts." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/mathematicians-vs-operations-research-analysts
Singulariki. (2026). Mathematicians vs Operations Research Analysts. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/mathematicians-vs-operations-research-analysts
@misc{singulariki-mathematicians-vs-operations-research-analysts,
title = {Mathematicians vs Operations Research Analysts},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/mathematicians-vs-operations-research-analysts}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.