How much do Operations Research Analysts make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Percentile spread

For Operations Research Analysts, the published 10th percentile is $62,470 and the 90th percentile is $148,600. The difference is $86,130, which is 99.6% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $76,280 to the 75th at $119,240, covers $42,960.

The mean annual wage is $99,710, which sits above the median of $86,500. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is 2.7% lower than the national median of $88,940 for Operations Research Analysts. In 2024 national prices the local median is $83,498, which is 6.1% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 3.7% lower than the Illinois median of $89,800.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Illinois, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 103.595, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $86,500 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Operations Research Analysts at $83,498 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

18 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Operations Research Analysts. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ranks 5th of 19 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Kenosha, WI is 57 miles away, with a median of $62,210 and employment of 60. That median is 28.1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $61,522, against $83,498 here.
• Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI is 71 miles away, with a median of $63,520 and employment of 40. That median is 26.6% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $66,194, against $83,498 here.
• Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is 80 miles away, with a median of $74,850 and employment of 1,310. That median is 13.5% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $77,215, against $83,498 here.

Employment share

Operations Research Analysts accounts for 0.08% of wage-and-salary employment in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (3,680 of 4,513,280). Nationally the occupation is 0.07% of employment (108,510 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.17 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.