What Is an SOC Code? Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Explained

Updated: 2026 · Standard owner: U.S. Federal Statistical System (SOC) · Current baseline: 2018 SOC · Governance: Authority & Trust Hub

What is an SOC code? The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) is the U.S. federal standard for grouping jobs into occupational categories based on work performed (duties) and the skills, education, and training typically required. It is used across major government datasets so occupational statistics are consistent and comparable.

If NAICS tells you what an establishment does (industry), SOC tells you what a worker does (occupation). Together, they form the backbone of workforce and labor-market analysis.

Helpful SOC code tools

SOC code directory

Search SOC codes by job title keywords or browse by group. Useful for workforce analysis, reporting, and data cleanup.

Industry context (NAICS)

When you need the employer/establishment context, pair SOC with NAICS (industry) for a complete labor-market view.

Understanding the SOC structure

The 2018 SOC uses a four-tier hierarchy. The counts below are widely referenced for the 2018 system and help users understand how granular the taxonomy becomes at the detailed level.

Level What it represents Typical use
Major group Broad occupational families (e.g., Management; Construction) High-level reporting and dashboards
Minor group Sub-families within major groups Program reporting, category rollups
Broad occupation Cluster of related detailed roles Analytics where job families are sufficient
Detailed occupation Most specific standardized occupation category Compliance, wage studies, staffing models

Practical note: For real-world datasets, collect or normalize to the most detailed occupation you can support (typically the detailed SOC), then roll up to broad/minor/major groups for analysis.

SOC code anatomy (visual hierarchy)

SOC codes look like simple numbers, but they encode hierarchy. Here’s a worked example that shows how a detailed occupation nests upward.

Major group
47-0000

Construction & Extraction Occupations

Minor group
47-2000

Construction Trades Workers

Broad occupation
47-2070

Construction Equipment Operators

Detailed occupation
47-2072

Pile-Driver Operators

SOC classification principles you should know

When you hit a “borderline job title” problem, these principles explain how SOC resolves ambiguity:

  1. Work performed is primary: classify based on duties, not just a job title.
  2. Skills, education, and training matter: when duties overlap, code to the occupation requiring higher skill/knowledge.
  3. Supervisors are usually grouped with the workers they supervise: except where the classification explicitly separates supervisory roles.
  4. Apprentices follow the target occupation: helpers/aides may be distinct if their duties are meaningfully different.
  5. “All Other” exists for edge cases: residual categories capture roles not fitting any detailed occupation.

Workflow tip: If you’re coding a dataset, normalize job titles first (strip seniority terms like “I/II/III,” location tags, and internal levels), then map based on duties. This usually improves match rates and reduces misclassification.

The “golden path” bridge: education → occupations → industries

Many SICCODE.com users come to SOC because they’re trying to connect completions (education output) to jobs (occupations) to employers (industries). This is the bridge that turns raw classification into actionable labor-market insight.

Education programs

Field of study completions (degrees/certs)

CIP

Occupations

Work performed (job duties) for workforce analytics

SOC

Industries

Establishments and employer types for demand context

NAICS

Helpful companion reference: SOC code lookup for occupations and NAICS lookup for industries.

Data cleaning pro-tip: In some datasets, SOC may appear as “flat” digits or without punctuation. Always preserve the canonical format (e.g., 47-2072) in a dedicated field, and store any vendor format in a separate “raw” field for traceability.

Updates & vintages

SOC is periodically revised to reflect changing work. For 2026 analysis, the 2018 SOC remains the baseline used across many federal statistical programs, while work toward future revisions occurs via the SOC Policy Committee (SOCPC) process.

  • Use vintage-aware fields: Store the SOC version (e.g., “SOC 2018”) alongside the code in your database.
  • Longitudinal research: treat SOC crosswalks as analytic mappings (not perfect one-to-one identities) when comparing over time.
  • Emerging roles: new occupations may be introduced or re-scoped in future revisions—document your assumptions for auditability.

Who uses SOC codes

  • Federal agencies: standardized occupational statistics, surveys, and workforce programs.
  • State agencies: labor-market intelligence and training alignment.
  • Researchers: wage studies, demand forecasting, and occupational mobility.
  • Employers & analysts: staffing benchmarks, job-family analytics, and compliance reporting where occupational standardization is required.

FAQ

  • Are SOC codes the same as job titles?
    Not exactly. SOC codes classify occupations based on duties and typical requirements. Job titles vary widely across employers; SOC provides standardized categories.
  • How do I find the right SOC code?
    Start with duties, then validate with a keyword search. Use: SOC Code Directory & Lookup.
  • How often is SOC updated?
    SOC is revised periodically through the federal statistical standards process. For most operational datasets in 2026, SOC 2018 is still a common baseline.
  • How does SOC differ from NAICS?
    SOC classifies workers by occupation; NAICS classifies establishments by industry. They are designed to be used together for complete labor-market analysis.
  • What does “All Other” mean?
    “All Other” categories capture roles that don’t fit a specific detailed occupation. Use them when duties clearly fall outside the defined occupations.

Guidance sources

Primary sources for the SOC standard and official guidance: