Skip to content
Singulariki

Operations Research Analysts vs Software Developers

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Operations Research Analysts and Software Developers 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.”

Operations Research Analysts Software Developers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$91,290
$133,080
Employment · BLS OEWS
107,760
1,654,440
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
90th pct
85th pct

At a glance

Dimension Operations Research Analysts Software Developers
Median pay $91,290 $133,080
Employment 107,760 1,654,440
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection Growing fast (+21.5%) Growing fast (+15.8%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 9,600 115,200
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 a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
AI exposure · published exposure studies High · 90th pct High · 85th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 94th pct · 56% of tasks —
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index Augmentation-leaning (55.2%) —
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman 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, Mathematics, Mathematical Reasoning, Complex Problem Solving, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Computers and Electronics, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Information Ordering, Operations Analysis, Near Vision, Fluency of Ideas, Originality, Category Flexibility, English Language, Speech Clarity, Coordination, Time Management, Speech Recognition, Education and Training.

Specific to Operations Research Analysts

  • Number Facility
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Production and Processing
  • Science
  • Flexibility of Closure
  • Design
  • Learning Strategies

Specific to Software Developers

  • Programming
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Technology Design
  • Selective Attention
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation

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: Business intelligence and data analysis software , Object or component oriented development software , Data base user interface and query software , Data base management system software , Operating system software , Development environment software , Enterprise application integration software , Application server software , Document management software .

Specific to Operations Research Analysts

Specific to Software Developers

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Operations Research Analysts or Software Developers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

More comparisons

Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

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.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Operations Research Analysts vs Software Developers." 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/operations-research-analysts-vs-software-developers

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Operations Research Analysts vs Software Developers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/operations-research-analysts-vs-software-developers

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-operations-research-analysts-vs-software-developers,
  title  = {Operations Research Analysts vs Software Developers},
  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/operations-research-analysts-vs-software-developers}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.