Manufacturing Industry Classification Codes (SIC & NAICS)
Manufacturing Industry Codes
Updated: 2025
The Manufacturing sector includes establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of raw materials into new products. This sector spans food processing, textiles, chemicals, plastics, metals, machinery, electronics, transportation equipment, and a wide range of fabricated products. Manufacturing classifications support supply chain mapping, economic benchmarking, regulatory reporting, and operational analysis across thousands of industrial production categories. Accurate SIC and NAICS codes ensure consistent rollups for market intelligence, compliance, and forecasting.
SIC Coverage: 20–39 (entire Manufacturing Division)
NAICS Range: 31–33
SICCODE.com assigns industries to the Manufacturing sector when their primary activity involves transforming materials, components, or substances into new products using machinery, chemical processes, assembly operations, or fabrication systems. SIC codes are included when production rather than retailing, wholesaling, or services represents the core business function.
SIC vs. NAICS Structure for Manufacturing
| SIC Structure | NAICS Structure |
| Manufacturing covers SIC 20–39, organizing production vertically by material type: food, textiles, lumber, furniture, paper, chemicals, petroleum, plastics, metals, machinery, electronics, transportation equipment, and miscellaneous manufacturing. | NAICS divides Manufacturing into Sectors 31, 32, and 33 to group modern industries by shared production technologies, supply chains, and processing methods. |
| SIC provides highly granular product-based categories that reflect legacy industrial organization and historical manufacturing distinctions. | NAICS emphasizes integrated manufacturing systems, automation, materials processing, and contemporary industrial clusters, enabling more modern analytical rollups. |
| SIC categories sometimes separate related processes across divisions based on legacy industry definitions. | NAICS supports supply-chain based analysis by grouping industries with similar production flows, technology requirements, and input characteristics. |
Major SIC Subsectors (Linked to Official 2-Digit Pages)
- SIC 20 — Food and Kindred Products
- SIC 21 — Tobacco Products
- SIC 22 — Textile Mill Products
- SIC 23 — Apparel & Other Finished Products from Fabric & Similar Materials
- SIC 24 — Lumber & Wood Products (Except Furniture)
- SIC 25 — Furniture & Fixtures
- SIC 26 — Paper & Allied Products
- SIC 27 — Printing, Publishing & Allied Industries
- SIC 28 — Chemicals & Allied Products
- SIC 29 — Petroleum Refining & Related Industries
- SIC 30 — Rubber & Miscellaneous Plastics Products
- SIC 31 — Leather & Leather Products
- SIC 32 — Stone, Clay, Glass & Concrete Products
- SIC 33 — Primary Metal Industries
- SIC 34 — Fabricated Metal Products
- SIC 35 — Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Computer Equipment
- SIC 36 — Electronic & Electrical Equipment & Components
- SIC 37 — Transportation Equipment
- SIC 38 — Measuring & Controlling Instruments; Medical & Optical Goods
- SIC 39 — Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries
NAICS Structure Within Manufacturing (Linked)
- NAICS 31 — Food, Beverage, Apparel, Leather, & Related Products
- NAICS 32 — Paper, Printing, Petroleum, Chemicals, Plastics, Rubber & Mineral Products
- NAICS 33 — Metals, Machinery, Electronics, Electrical Equipment, Transportation Equipment & Miscellaneous Manufacturing
Both SIC and NAICS organize manufacturing by production process, material category, and the nature of the transformation performed. SIC offers more granular product-based segmentation, reflecting legacy industrial distinctions, while NAICS organizes manufacturing into three modern sectors (31–33) to align with supply-chain structures, processing technologies, and industrial clustering.
Insights & Research for Manufacturing
How SIC & NAICS structures connect input suppliers, processors, fabricators, and downstream distributors across industrial networks.
Manufacturing codes support OSHA, EPA, and state compliance frameworks requiring detailed activity classification for emissions, safety, and chemical-use reporting.
Analysts measure output, capacity utilization, capital investment, and competitive performance across manufacturing subsectors and regions.
Classification helps identify sectors leading in robotics, precision machining, additive manufacturing, and AI-integrated production ecosystems.
How These Classifications Are Used
Manufacturing SIC and NAICS codes are essential for market research, supplier discovery, regulatory reporting, economic analysis, and site-selection modeling. Businesses use accurate classification to benchmark performance, segment industrial customers, and evaluate operational risks. Government agencies and analysts rely on these codes to quantify production trends, track material flows, and measure manufacturing’s contribution to regional and national economies.
Get Help With Manufacturing Classification
If you need assistance identifying the correct SIC or NAICS code for a manufacturing operation, our classification specialists can review production methods, materials, and supply-chain relationships to determine the appropriate category.
Related Classification Clusters
- NAICS 42 — Wholesale Trade (upstream distributors and material suppliers)
- NAICS 48–49 — Transportation & Warehousing (logistics, supply-chain operations, and distribution networks)
Reviewed and verified by the SICCODE.com Expert Review Team.