NAICS Structure Explained | 2022 and 2017 NAICS Hierarchy by Sector
NAICS is a production-oriented industry classification system that groups establishments by how they produce goods or deliver services. It is hierarchical from 2 digits through 6 digits, starting at the sector level and ending at the national industry level.
Use NAICS when you need a modern standardized classification for statistical reporting, many contracting and compliance workflows, and cross-border comparability across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For private-sector data environments, it is often useful to store NAICS alongside SIC for interoperability and historical continuity.
How the NAICS Hierarchy Works
The North American Industry Classification System groups establishments according to the activity in which they are primarily engaged. Establishments that use similar raw materials, labor, capital equipment, and production processes are classified together.
- Sector: 2-digit code
- Subsector: 3-digit code
- Industry Group: 4-digit code
- NAICS Industry: 5-digit code
- National Industry: 6-digit code
Find any code using the NAICS Code Lookup Directory.
Use NAICS when you need a current, standardized classification for government reporting, statistical analysis, and official workflows.
For legacy datasets and private databases that rely on historical continuity, store a SIC value alongside NAICS. See SIC vs NAICS Codes.
Important structure note: NAICS has 20 sectors. Manufacturing is represented by 31–33, Retail Trade by 44–45, and Transportation and Warehousing by 48–49. In current Census methodology, all sectors except 92 have full or partial representation in the Economic Census, and Agriculture (11) is included for 2022. Most older summaries excluded 11 and 92, so you will still see that older wording on legacy pages and documents.
Brief Description of the NAICS Sectors
11 - Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Growing crops, raising animals, harvesting timber, and harvesting fish and other animals from farms, ranches, or natural habitats.
21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Extracting mineral solids, liquid minerals, and gases, along with beneficiation and preparation activities tied to mine-site operations.
22 - Utilities
Generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity, gas, steam, and water, plus sewage removal through permanent infrastructure.
23 - Construction
Erecting buildings and structures, heavy construction, and related installation, maintenance, and repair work.
31–33 - Manufacturing
The mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products.
42 - Wholesale Trade
Selling or arranging the purchase and sale of goods for resale, along with durable goods and production supplies.
44–45 - Retail Trade
Retailing merchandise in small quantities to the public and providing services incidental to the sale of merchandise.
48–49 - Transportation and Warehousing
Transportation of passengers and cargo, warehousing and storage, and related support activities.
51 - Information
Distributing information and cultural products, transmitting data and communications, and processing information.
Activities involving financial assets, financial transactions, and risk pooling.
53 - Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Renting, leasing, or allowing the use of tangible or intangible assets, plus related support services.
54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Professional and technical services performed for the operations of other organizations.
55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises
Holding companies and establishments that administer, oversee, or manage other establishments within an enterprise.
56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
Routine support activities for day-to-day operations of other organizations.
61 - Educational Services
Providing instruction and training in a broad range of subjects.
62 - Health Care and Social Assistance
Providing health care and social assistance to individuals.
71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Operating or supporting activities that meet cultural, entertainment, and recreational interests.
72 - Accommodation and Food Services
Providing lodging and preparing meals, snacks, and beverages for immediate consumption.
81 - Other Services (except Public Administration)
Services not elsewhere specified, including repairs, personal services, advocacy, grantmaking, and religious activities.
Administration, management, and oversight of public programs by federal, state, and local governments.
NAICS 2022 Structure Table
This table shows the current NAICS 2022 structure by sector, including subsectors, industry groups, industries, and the total count of 6-digit industries.
| Sector | Code Title | Subsectors (3-digits) |
Industry Groups (4-digits) |
NAICS Industries (5-digits) |
6-digit Industries | ||
| U.S. Detail | Same as 5-digit | Total | |||||
| 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 19 | 42 | 32 | 32 | 64 |
| 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 3 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| 22 | Utilities | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| 23 | Construction | 3 | 10 | 28 | 4 | 27 | 31 |
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 21 | 86 | 176 | 249 | 97 | 346 |
| 42 | Wholesale Trade | 3 | 19 | 69 | 0 | 69 | 69 |
| 44-45 | Retail Trade | 9 | 24 | 48 | 16 | 41 | 57 |
| 48-49 | Transportation and Warehousing | 11 | 29 | 42 | 25 | 32 | 57 |
| 51 | Information | 6 | 11 | 24 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
| 52 | Finance and Insurance | 5 | 11 | 27 | 13 | 22 | 35 |
| 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| 54 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 9 | 35 | 20 | 29 | 49 |
| 55 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 11 | 29 | 25 | 19 | 44 |
| 61 | Educational Services | 1 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 18 | 30 | 16 | 23 | 39 |
| 71 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 3 | 9 | 23 | 3 | 22 | 25 |
| 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | 2 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| 81 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4 | 14 | 30 | 24 | 20 | 44 |
| 92 | Public Administration | 8 | 8 | 29 | 0 | 29 | 29 |
| Total | 96 | 308 | 689 | 490 | 522 | 1,012 | |
Versioning note: NAICS revisions can change definitions and rebalance detail. This page includes the NAICS 2022 structure as the current reference and the NAICS 2017 structure below for legacy comparison.
NAICS 2017 Structure Table (Reference)
Use this earlier table when working with older datasets, historical documentation, or records that still reference the 2017 edition.
| Sector | Code Title | Subsectors (3-digits) |
Industry Groups (4-digits) |
NAICS Industries (5-digits) |
6-digit Industries | ||
| U.S. Detail | Same as 5-digit | Total | |||||
| 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 19 | 42 | 32 | 32 | 64 |
| 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 3 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 4 | 28 |
| 22 | Utilities | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| 23 | Construction | 3 | 10 | 28 | 4 | 27 | 31 |
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 21 | 86 | 180 | 265 | 95 | 360 |
| 42 | Wholesale Trade | 3 | 19 | 71 | 0 | 71 | 71 |
| 44-45 | Retail Trade | 12 | 27 | 57 | 17 | 49 | 66 |
| 48-49 | Transportation and Warehousing | 11 | 29 | 42 | 25 | 32 | 57 |
| 51 | Information | 6 | 11 | 25 | 12 | 19 | 31 |
| 52 | Finance and Insurance | 5 | 11 | 31 | 15 | 26 | 41 |
| 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| 54 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 9 | 35 | 20 | 29 | 49 |
| 55 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 11 | 29 | 25 | 19 | 44 |
| 61 | Educational Services | 1 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 18 | 30 | 16 | 23 | 39 |
| 71 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 3 | 9 | 23 | 3 | 22 | 25 |
| 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | 2 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| 81 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4 | 14 | 30 | 30 | 19 | 49 |
| 92 | Public Administration | 8 | 8 | 29 | 0 | 29 | 29 |
| Total | 99 | 311 | 709 | 527 | 530 | 1,057 | |
About the NAICS Structure
NAICS is unique among industry classification systems because it is built within a single production-oriented conceptual framework. Economic units with similar production processes are classified in the same industry, which supports consistent collection and publication of both inputs and outputs.
Examples of Production-Oriented Uses
- Measuring productivity, unit labor costs, and capital intensity
- Estimating employment-output relationships
- Constructing input-output tables
- Analyzing production relationships across the economy
What NAICS Emphasizes
- New and emerging industries
- Service industries
- Industries producing advanced technologies
These priorities explain many of the differences between NAICS and older classification systems. NAICS also improves comparability among the three North American trading partners while increasing compatibility with the 2-digit level of the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC, Rev. 4).
NAICS Sector Key Features
Information (Sector 51)
Information brings together industries that create and distribute information products, transmit those products as data or communications, or process data.
- Telecommunications
- Broadcasting
- Publishing
- Motion picture and sound recording
- Libraries and other information services
Professional Services (Sector 54)
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services is defined largely by human capital and professional expertise.
- Offices of lawyers
- Engineering services
- Architectural services
- Advertising agencies
- Interior design services
Arts and Recreation (Sector 71)
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation includes establishments that operate facilities or provide services meeting cultural, entertainment, and recreational interests.
Health Care (Sector 62)
Health Care and Social Assistance reflects the close relationship between health care and social assistance and organizes industries by the range and extent of care provided.
- Family planning centers
- Outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers
- Continuing care retirement communities
Manufacturing (Sectors 31–33)
Manufacturing groups industries with similar production processes. One example is Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing.
Comparability and Adoption
The structure reflects the levels at which comparability was agreed upon by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The United States adopted the revised classification in its statistical programs for the reference year beginning in 2022.
Related Directories and Cross-System References
- NAICS Code Lookup Directory for finding a code by keyword or browsing sectors
- SIC Code Lookup Directory for legacy classification widely used in private datasets
- SIC vs NAICS Codes for practical differences and workflow guidance
- ISIC Code Lookup Directory for international alignment reference
- U.S. Census Bureau NAICS for the authoritative official source
Bottom Line
NAICS is hierarchical, production-oriented, and designed for modern statistical reporting and cross-border comparability. Start at the 2-digit sector, then narrow to the 6-digit national industry when you need precise classification. For real-world datasets and workflows that span public reporting and private-market targeting, storing NAICS alongside SIC usually provides the strongest interoperability.