What is the NAICS code for manufacturing?
Manufacturing is grouped in NAICS Sectors 31–33. The correct six-digit code depends on the product made and the production activity performed at the establishment.
NAICS Code for Manufacturing
Find the right NAICS code for a manufacturing business
Manufacturing is grouped in NAICS Sectors 31–33. The sector includes establishments that mechanically, physically, or chemically transform materials, substances, or components into new products. Assembly of manufactured components is also generally manufacturing unless the activity is more appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction.
There is no single six-digit NAICS code for a manufacturing company. The correct code depends on the product being made and, where the NAICS structure distinguishes industries by process or material, how that product is manufactured.
The central classification question is whether the establishment creates a new product through transformation or assembly. If it mainly installs at a construction site, repairs an existing product, republishes information, or repackages and resells goods without creating a new product, another sector can apply.
Look up a manufacturing NAICS code
Search by product, process, or a 2- to 6-digit code. Results use the same NAICS search as the rest of SICCODE.com, so you can continue to the most specific industry instead of stopping at the tables below.
Common NAICS codes for manufacturing companies
The table below covers high-demand manufacturing categories under the 2022 NAICS structure. These are starting points. Most manufacturers should continue to the most specific six-digit industry that matches the product and production activity.
| Manufacturing activity | NAICS | Industry family | Classification boundary to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufactures food products from agricultural, animal, or other food inputs | 311 | Food Manufacturing | Beverage manufacturing is in 312. Retail bakeries producing baked goods on premises can remain in Manufacturing, while products prepared mainly for immediate consumption can fall in Food Services. |
| Manufactures beverages | 3121 | Beverage Manufacturing | Classify by the beverage actually produced. Bottling or processing can be manufacturing when the activity creates the manufactured beverage product rather than merely repackaging goods for resale. |
| Prints books, labels, business forms, apparel, packaging, or other materials | 323 | Printing and Related Support Activities | Printing is Manufacturing. Publishing and combined publishing-and-printing establishments are classified in the Information sector when the economic activity is publishing. |
| Manufactures chemicals, soaps, cleaners, coatings, pharmaceuticals, or related chemical products | 325 | Chemical Manufacturing | Not every chemical transformation is in 325. Petroleum refining, some mineral processing, and beverage distilling belong in other subsectors. Pharmaceuticals are in 3254. |
| Processes plastics resins into intermediate or finished products | 3261 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | Use the specific plastics product or process industry where available. Simple cutting, packaging, or resale of purchased goods may belong in Wholesale or Retail Trade. |
| Produces cement, ready-mix concrete, glass, clay, stone, or other nonmetallic mineral products | 327 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | Ready-mix concrete production is manufacturing. Installing concrete at a construction site is a construction activity. Cement and concrete products are grouped in 3273. |
| Forges, stamps, machines, welds, forms, or assembles fabricated metal products | 332 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | Fabricated metal products differ from primary metal production, machinery, electronics, metal furniture, and on-site structural construction. |
| Manufactures industrial, agricultural, construction, mining, commercial, or other machinery | 333 | Machinery Manufacturing | Machinery manufacturing often combines forming, machining, welding, assembly, and design. Repairing machinery without rebuilding or remanufacturing it can belong in Repair and Maintenance. Industrial machinery is in 3332. |
| Manufactures computers, semiconductors, communications equipment, instruments, or other electronic products | 334 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | Custom assembly and sale of computers without a manufacturing production process can be classified in Wholesale or Retail Trade. Software publishing is in Information. |
| Manufactures electrical equipment, appliances, or components | 335 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | Installation of electrical systems at a construction site is generally Construction, not electrical-equipment manufacturing. |
| Manufactures motor vehicles, aerospace products, railroad equipment, ships, or other transportation equipment | 336 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | Some rebuilding, overhauling, and shipyard work can remain Manufacturing, while routine repair or transportation-facility service can fall outside Manufacturing. |
| Manufactures household, office, institutional, or other furniture | 337 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | Classify by the furniture type and material where the six-digit structure distinguishes them. Household and institutional furniture is grouped in 33712. |
| Manufactures medical equipment and supplies | 3391 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | Medical manufacturing is classified by the product made, not by the healthcare industry of the eventual customer. |
The Manufacturing sector spans 21 three-digit subsectors
Sectors 31–33 are divided into 21 three-digit manufacturing subsectors. The three-digit level identifies the broad product family, while four-, five-, and six-digit codes narrow the classification further.
| NAICS | Manufacturing subsector | Examples of products or processes |
|---|---|---|
| 311 | Food Manufacturing | Meat, dairy, bakery, grain, seafood, snacks, packaged foods. |
| 312 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | Soft drinks, bottled water, breweries, wineries, tobacco products. |
| 313 | Textile Mills | Yarn, thread, fabric, textile finishing. |
| 314 | Textile Product Mills | Carpets, curtains, textile furnishings, other textile products. |
| 315 | Apparel Manufacturing | Cut-and-sew apparel, apparel accessories, knitting mills. |
| 316 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | Footwear, leather goods, handbags, related products. |
| 321 | Wood Product Manufacturing | Lumber, plywood, millwork, manufactured homes, wood products. |
| 322 | Paper Manufacturing | Pulp, paper, paperboard, converted paper products. |
| 323 | Printing and Related Support Activities | Commercial printing, labels, forms, screen printing, support processes. |
| 324 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | Petroleum refining, asphalt products, lubricants, related products. |
| 325 | Chemical Manufacturing | Basic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paints, soaps, fertilizers, resins. |
| 326 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | Plastic film, pipe, bottles, molded products, tires, rubber products. |
| 327 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | Glass, cement, concrete, clay, stone, mineral products. |
| 331 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | Iron, steel, aluminum, foundries, nonferrous metal production. |
| 332 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | Forging, stamping, machining, structural products, hardware, valves. |
| 333 | Machinery Manufacturing | Industrial, agricultural, construction, commercial, HVAC, packaging machinery. |
| 334 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | Computers, semiconductors, communications equipment, instruments. |
| 335 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | Motors, batteries, lighting, household appliances, electrical components. |
| 336 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | Vehicles, aircraft, ships, railroad equipment, transportation parts. |
| 337 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | Household, office, institutional, and related furniture. |
| 339 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | Medical equipment, sporting goods, jewelry, signs, other specialized products. |
Manufacturing means creating a new product through transformation or assembly
Census defines Manufacturing as the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. A manufacturing establishment can operate as a plant, factory, or mill, but industrial machinery is not required. Production by hand, production in a worker's home, and some products made and sold on the same premises can also qualify.
The manufactured output can be a finished consumer product or a semi-finished product used as an input by another manufacturer. Establishments can also process materials for other businesses on a contract or fee basis and still be classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed material or product.
Manufacturing is not determined by whether the establishment looks like a factory. The decisive issue is whether its production process transforms or assembles inputs into a new product and which manufacturing industry best describes that output.
Classify a manufacturer by the product made and the production activity
1
Identify the product produced at the establishment.
Start with the actual output, such as bread, plastic bottles, machine parts, industrial equipment, medical instruments, furniture, or printed labels.
2
Identify the material and production process when they affect the NAICS structure.
Similar end uses can be separated by material or process. Metal fabrication, plastics processing, chemical formulation, printing, machining, and electronic production can lead to different subsectors.
3
Confirm that the activity creates a new product.
Distinguish manufacturing from simple redistribution, repackaging, retail processing, routine repair, publishing, or on-site construction.
4
Drill down to the most specific six-digit industry.
Use the three-digit subsector as the starting point, then follow the hierarchy until the most specific applicable U.S. industry is reached.
5
Resolve mixed product lines by primary activity at the establishment.
The 2022 NAICS methodology is production-oriented. Revenue or shipments can be practical evidence, but the classification should not be reduced to a universal 51 percent revenue rule.
Assembly is generally manufacturing, but on-site construction is different
Census generally treats assembling component parts into a manufactured product as Manufacturing. Machinery, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, furniture, electronics, and many other products can involve substantial assembly.
The boundary changes when the work is performed as construction at the project site. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings at the construction site by contractors, and fabricating components as part of on-site construction are classified in Sector 23.
Census also treats manufactured homes and prefabricated buildings as manufacturing activity even when the manufacturer later erects them at a customer's site. Plant production of the building product remains Manufacturing. An on-site construction contract to install or erect the structure can be classified separately in Construction.
| Activity | Usually review | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Manufactures prefabricated building components in a plant | Applicable Manufacturing industry | Creating the building product is manufacturing even if it is later erected at a customer's site. |
| Constructs or installs the structure at the project site | Sector 23 Construction | On-site construction is classified by the construction activity rather than by the factory-made component. |
| Produces ready-mix concrete | 327320 | Producing ready-mix concrete is manufacturing. Placing or installing concrete at a project site is construction. |
| Manufactures structural metal components | 3323 | Plant fabrication differs from constructing buildings, bridges, or other structures on site. |
Contract manufacturing can still be Manufacturing
A manufacturer does not have to own every material it processes. Census states that manufacturing establishments may process materials themselves or process materials for other establishments under contract. Selected manufacturing industries consist entirely of contract or fee-based processing, and other contract processors are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the material or product they process.
This is different from a distributor, broker, sales representative, or reseller that does not perform the transformation. When the establishment's role is primarily to market, distribute, or arrange sales of goods rather than manufacture them, Wholesale or Retail Trade can apply.
Manufacturing is commonly confused with construction, trade, repair, and publishing
| Classification question | Manufacturing applies when | Boundary to check |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing vs. construction | Materials or components are transformed or assembled into manufactured products. | Construction of structures and fabrication or assembly performed at the construction site by contractors belong in Sector 23. |
| Manufacturing vs. wholesale or retail trade | The establishment creates a new product through transformation or assembly. | Breaking bulk, repackaging, relabeling, simple bottling for resale, mixing paint to order, cutting metal to order for resale, and similar distribution functions can remain Wholesale or Retail Trade when no new product is created. See Sector 42, Wholesale Trade. |
| Manufacturing vs. repair | The establishment rebuilds or remanufactures machinery or equipment, or performs production that results in a remanufactured product. | Routine repair and maintenance that restores an existing product to working order generally belongs in Repair and Maintenance or another applicable service industry. |
| Printing vs. publishing | The establishment primarily performs printing and related production processes. | Publishing and combined publishing-and-printing establishments are classified in 513 Publishing Industries when the economic activity is publishing content. |
| Manufacturer vs. separate manufacturer's sales office | The production establishment makes the product. | A physically separate sales branch or sales office maintained apart from the plant for marketing manufactured goods can be classified in Wholesale Trade. |
| Custom fabrication vs. simple modification for resale | The production process creates a new manufactured product. | Simple cutting, sorting, repackaging, or similar modifications incidental to resale may remain in Trade. The presence of customer specifications alone does not decide the sector. |
| Retail bakery vs. baked-goods retailer | Baked goods not for immediate consumption are made on the premises from flour. | 311811 Retail Bakeries is Manufacturing; retailing baked goods made elsewhere is 445291, while preparing snack-type bakery products for immediate consumption can be 722515. |
| Medical-device manufacturing vs. healthcare | The establishment manufactures medical instruments, appliances, supplies, or related products. | The eventual customer may be a hospital or clinician, but customer industry does not move the manufacturer into Health Care. |
Printing is Manufacturing, while publishing is Information
NAICS treats printing and publishing as separate economic activities. Subsector 323 covers printing products such as books, newspapers, labels, business cards, stationery, forms, and other materials, along with printing support activities.
Publishing is classified in the Information sector because the value of the product is tied to the information or intellectual content. Census also states that when publishing and printing are performed in the same establishment, the establishment is classified in Publishing Industries rather than 323.
Repair and remanufacturing are not always classified the same way
Routine repair and maintenance generally restores machinery, equipment, or other products to working order and is usually classified in the applicable repair or service industry. Census separately excludes establishments primarily rebuilding or remanufacturing machinery and equipment from Repair and Maintenance and places those activities in Manufacturing.
The distinction can be industry-specific. Rebuilding railroad equipment, factory rebuilding of certain electronic equipment, remanufacturing machinery, and some shipyard work are examples where the manufacturing structure should be checked rather than assuming all repair-like work belongs in Sector 81.
A manufacturer with multiple products may require establishment-level classification
NAICS classifies establishments rather than corporate brands in the abstract. A company that operates separate plants making different products can have different NAICS codes for those establishments. See Establishment-Level vs Company-Level NAICS Codes.
When one establishment makes multiple products, classify the establishment according to its primary production activity using the NAICS methodology. Revenue, shipments, employment, production costs, and other available measures can provide evidence depending on the industry, but no universal 51 percent revenue rule should be presented as the NAICS standard.
Manufacturing business counts depend on the code and record unit
A count for all Manufacturing Sectors 31–33 is far broader than a count for a three-digit subsector such as 325 Chemical Manufacturing or 333 Machinery Manufacturing. A six-digit code narrows the market further to a specific product or production activity.
Company, headquarters, establishment, and operating-location counts also answer different questions. A large manufacturer can operate multiple plants with different NAICS classifications, while sales targeting may require either each plant location or one consolidated company record.
SICCODE.com publishes current business-data coverage on individual NAICS code pages. Those figures are SICCODE.com coverage counts, not official Census totals. Start with Manufacturing 31–33 and then narrow to the relevant product family and six-digit code, such as 311, 332, 334, 336, or 3391.
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Common manufacturing NAICS classification mistakes
- Stopping at 31–33 or a three-digit subsector instead of identifying the most specific applicable six-digit industry.
- Choosing the code from the customer's industry rather than the product manufactured.
- Assuming assembly is not manufacturing.
- Treating on-site construction and plant manufacturing as the same activity.
- Treating repackaging, relabeling, cutting, sorting, or resale as manufacturing when no new product is created.
- Treating all repair and rebuilding activities as Repair and Maintenance without checking remanufacturing rules.
- Treating publishing and printing as the same industry.
- Using one code for every plant in a diversified manufacturing company.
- Classifying solely from a broad label such as industrial, medical, automotive, or consumer products without identifying the actual product.
- Using the largest revenue share or a 51 percent threshold as a universal NAICS rule.
- Counting companies and manufacturing establishments as if they were the same record unit.
Questions about manufacturing NAICS codes
Is assembly considered manufacturing?
Generally yes. Census treats assembly of component parts of manufactured products as manufacturing unless the activity is more appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction.
How do I choose a manufacturing NAICS code?
Identify the product produced, the relevant material or production process, and the most specific six-digit industry. Also confirm that the activity creates a new product rather than performing construction, resale, routine repair, publishing, or another service.
What is the NAICS code for food manufacturing?
Food Manufacturing is NAICS 311. The six-digit code depends on the food product and production process, such as meat, dairy, bakery, grain, seafood, snack food, or another food category.
What is the NAICS code for chemical manufacturing?
Chemical Manufacturing is NAICS 325. It includes basic chemicals and many chemical intermediate and end products, but certain chemical processing activities are classified in other subsectors.
What is the NAICS code for machinery manufacturing?
Machinery Manufacturing is NAICS 333. The final six-digit industry depends on the type of machinery produced, such as agricultural, construction, industrial, HVAC, commercial, packaging, or other machinery.
Is printing considered manufacturing?
Yes. Printing and related support activities are classified in NAICS 323. Publishing is classified separately in the Information sector.
Is contract manufacturing still classified as manufacturing?
It can be. Census states that establishments processing materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed material or product.
Is repairing machinery considered manufacturing?
Routine repair and maintenance generally belongs in Repair and Maintenance. Rebuilding or remanufacturing machinery and equipment can instead be classified in Manufacturing.
Can a retail business still be classified as manufacturing?
In some cases. Census includes certain establishments that make products on the premises and sell them directly to the public, such as qualifying retail bakeries. The specific industry definition and production activity should be checked.
Can one manufacturing company have multiple NAICS codes?
Yes. Separate establishments or plants can have different primary production activities and therefore different NAICS classifications.
Primary sources for manufacturing classification
These sources support the 2022 Manufacturing definition and the major boundaries among manufacturing, construction, trade, printing and publishing, and repair.
-
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS Manual
Official U.S. NAICS manual, including the Manufacturing sector definition, subsector structure, cross-references, and primary-activity methodology. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS Sectors 31–33 Manufacturing
Defines manufacturing as transformation into new products and explains assembly, contract processing, remanufacturing, construction, trade, and publishing boundaries. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS 311 Food Manufacturing
Defines the food manufacturing subsector and its product-based structure. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS 323 Printing and Related Support Activities
Defines printing as Manufacturing and distinguishes printing from Publishing Industries. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS 325 Chemical Manufacturing
Defines chemical manufacturing and major cross-subsector exceptions. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS 332 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
Defines fabricated metal production processes including forging, stamping, bending, forming, machining, welding, and assembly. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS 333 Machinery Manufacturing
Defines machinery manufacturing and the role of design, forming, machining, welding, and complex assembly. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS 42 Wholesale Trade
Defines wholesaling without transformation and separate manufacturer sales branches or sales offices. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS Sector 81 and Repair and Maintenance
Distinguishes routine repair and maintenance from rebuilding and remanufacturing activities classified in Manufacturing. -
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS 513 Publishing Industries
Explains why publishing is in Information while printing is in Manufacturing.
Citation and attribution
This reference can be cited as:
SICCODE.com. (2026). NAICS Code for Manufacturing: Sectors 31–33, Industry Structure, and Classification Boundaries. Updated September 10, 2026. https://siccode.com/page/naics-code-for-manufacturing