Hiring an operations research analyst in Portland, OR

Employers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area pay operations research analysts a median of $102,480, with the middle half of the market between $82,160 and $130,780. Portland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations report a median of $102,069, which is 0% below what the metro pays for this role.

What does an operations research analyst earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$82,160
Median	$102,480
75th percentile	$130,780

Half of operations research analysts in this area earn between $82,160 and $130,780. A band set below $82,160 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Portland residents earn

$102,069

Median earnings of Portland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations, 18,689 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 0% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The two sit close together, so pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Present the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
Define data requirements, and gather and validate information, applying judgment and statistical tests.
Perform validation and testing of models to ensure adequacy, and reformulate models, as necessary.
Prepare management reports defining and evaluating problems and recommending solutions.
Collaborate with others in the organization to ensure successful implementation of chosen problem solutions.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 15-2031.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft PowerPoint, Python, Salesforce software, Structured query language SQL.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Portland?

This is a job zone five: extensive preparation needed occupation. 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).

That matters here, because 53.5% of Portland adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a deep local pool for a degree-requiring role. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Portland commute runs 24.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 25.3% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Clackamas County, computer systems design and related services employs 3,368 and turns over 5.9% a quarter, with 242 hires against 273 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $12,356 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5415.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about operations research analysts. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $20,496 to $30,744 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring an operations research analyst somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other computer and mathematical roles in Portland

Portland is the largest of 1 Oregon cities in this dataset.