NAICS Code for Healthcare / Medical Practice
Healthcare and medical practices are commonly classified in NAICS Sector 62. Sector 62 (Health Care and Social Assistance) includes most patient-care establishments such as physician offices, dental offices, outpatient centers, hospitals, and nursing/residential care facilities.
The correct NAICS code depends on the primary activity at a specific location: outpatient care (621xxx), hospitals (622xxx), nursing/residential care (623xxx), or social assistance (624xxx).
How to choose the correct NAICS code for a healthcare business
Quick rule: match the NAICS code to the primary activity performed at that specific location (the activity that drives the majority of economic output).
- Direct outpatient patient care: start with 621 (Ambulatory Health Care Services).
- Hospitals and inpatient care: start with 622 (Hospitals).
- Nursing and residential care facilities: start with 623 (Nursing and Residential Care Facilities).
- Social assistance programs (non-medical): start with 624 (Social Assistance).
Establishment rule: NAICS is assigned at the address/location level. A multi-location healthcare organization may have different NAICS codes by facility.
⚠️ Common mistake: classifying by “industry keywords” instead of primary activity.
For example, a healthcare billing office, staffing agency, or software company may serve medical clients but is often classified outside Sector 62 if it does not provide patient care. See Common confusion cases.
Sector 62 hierarchy
View the Sector 62 breakdown (621/622/623/624)
| Category | NAICS | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance |
| Ambulatory (outpatient) | 621 | Offices, clinics, outpatient centers, labs, home health (non-facility) |
| Hospitals | 622 | Inpatient hospital care, general and specialty hospitals |
| Nursing / residential care | 623 | Skilled nursing, residential facilities, continuing care |
| Social assistance | 624 | Non-medical social support services (counseling, childcare, community programs) |
Healthcare NAICS decision tree
| Question | If YES | If NO |
|---|---|---|
| Does this location deliver direct patient care? | Start with Sector 62 (usually 621/622/623). | Continue to the next question. |
| Is it primarily billing, admin, back-office, or claims processing? | Often outside Sector 62 (varies by function; confirm definition fit). | Continue to the next question. |
| Is it staffing / temp placement for healthcare employers? | Often 561320 (staffing), even if clients are hospitals/clinics. | Continue to the next question. |
| Is it software/IT sold to healthcare providers? | Often outside Sector 62 (e.g., software publishing) — classify by the product/service provided. | Use the directory to locate best-fit definitions by primary activity. |
Tip: if two activities are substantial (e.g., outpatient clinic + lab), classify by the activity representing the largest share of economic output and keep a short internal note for repeatability.
Common NAICS codes for healthcare & medical practices
Below are commonly used starting points. Use each destination page to confirm included/excluded activities and best-fit boundaries.
Outpatient / ambulatory care (NAICS 621)
- 621111 – Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)
- 621112 – Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists
- 621210 – Offices of Dentists
- 621320 – Offices of Optometrists
- 621330 – Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)
- 621399 – Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners
- 621493 – Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical Centers
- 621498 – All Other Outpatient Care Centers (often used for urgent care)
- 621511 – Medical Laboratories
- 621610 – Home Health Care Services
Hospitals & facilities (NAICS 622–623)
- 622110 – General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
- 622210 – Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
- 622310 – Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals
- 623110 – Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
- 623311 – Continuing Care Retirement Communities
- 623312 – Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
- 623220 – Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities
Facility vs outpatient: if care is delivered primarily in a facility with inpatient services, you are more likely in 622/623. If care is delivered primarily in offices/clinics/outpatient settings, you are more likely in 621.
Common confusion cases (avoid misclassification)
Telehealth, urgent care, and specialty clinics
- Urgent care centers: often 621498 (confirm definition fit).
- Telehealth provider: classify by the primary service delivered (often outpatient care categories if providing clinical care).
- Medical spa / wellness clinic: often 621399 when providing practitioner-based services (confirm boundaries).
- Imaging center: often within diagnostic/outpatient categories (confirm by definition).
If clinical care is not the primary activity (e.g., retail products), classification may fall outside Sector 62.
Healthcare-adjacent businesses (often outside Sector 62)
- Staffing agency serving hospitals: often 561320.
- Healthcare software company (EHR, billing tools): often software publishing/IT categories (classify by product provided).
- Billing-only / admin services: often outside Sector 62 (classify by primary business function).
- Holding company owning clinics: often 551112 if the primary activity is holding equity interests.
Serving healthcare clients does not automatically make an establishment “healthcare” under NAICS.
Why correct healthcare NAICS classification matters
- Vendor onboarding, payer enrollment workflows, and compliance documentation fields
- Insurance underwriting and risk segmentation
- Peer benchmarking and market rollups by specialty
- SBA size standards and eligibility workflows (where NAICS is required)
Healthcare business lists & data (available by NAICS)
Need a healthcare organization list by NAICS code?
SICCODE.com maintains structured healthcare business data across common Sector 62 categories (and healthcare-adjacent classifications where relevant). Data can be filtered by NAICS code, geography (state, county, ZIP), organization size, and other firmographic criteria. Delivery options include CSV, Excel, and structured formats for integration workflows.
Common use cases include provider research, partnership development, market sizing, compliance review, and segmentation by specialty.
FAQ
- What NAICS sector is healthcare?
Healthcare is commonly classified under NAICS Sector 62 – Health Care and Social Assistance. - What NAICS code is used for a medical practice?
Many medical practices fall under 621 (Ambulatory Health Care Services). The exact code depends on specialty (e.g., physician office vs dentist vs mental health practice). - What is the NAICS code for a doctor’s office?
Often 621111 (or 621112 for mental health specialists), depending on the primary services delivered. - What NAICS code is used for urgent care?
Urgent care is commonly classified as 621498 (confirm included/excluded activities on the definition page). - Is a healthcare staffing company in NAICS 62?
Often no. Staffing agencies may be classified as 561320 even if they primarily serve hospitals and clinics. - Do large healthcare systems have one NAICS code?
Not always. NAICS is assigned at the establishment level; different locations (hospital, clinic, lab) may have different codes based on what each facility does.
Next steps
Start with NAICS Sector 62, then choose the code that best matches the establishment’s primary activity: outpatient care (621), hospitals (622), nursing/residential care (623), or social assistance (624).
Related resources
- NAICS Code Lookup Directory
- What Is a NAICS Code?
- NAICS Included vs. Excluded Activities
- SIC Codes vs NAICS Codes
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