Quick links: SIC Code Search | NAICS Code Search
The Federal government classifies manufacturing and service industries and assigns each a Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code number in order to promote the comparability of statistics. These SIC codes are hierarchical and may range from 2 to 8 digits long. The SIC code has been revised over the years and some code numbers have changed. Be careful when comparing data from different publishers and over a long period of time. Currently, most sources are using the 1992 revision.
Beginning with the 1997 Economic Census, the Census Bureau used an entirely new North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) more closely aligned with international codes. NAICS was developed jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico based on similar processes instead of by materials, and breaks out many of the more recent industries.
Several new sectors were added: Information; Health Care and Social Assistance; and the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Sector. Commercial publications have started to convert to NAICS, but many still use SIC codes.
North American Industry Classification System: HF1042.N6 1997 (Information Desk 1)
List of NAICS codes, tables showing correspondence between NAICS and SIC, and indexing are included.
Standard Industrial Classification Manual: HF1042.A55 (Information Desk 1)
Describes the scope of each 4-digit SIC code. Some codes are catchalls for different products, or will be designated "NEC" or "not elsewhere classified."