NAICS 332811

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal statistical standard for classifying business establishments to enable consistent collection, analysis, and publication of U.S. economic data. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, it was created jointly with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s INEGI; the current U.S. vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 332811 — Metal Heat Treating — covers establishments primarily engaged in commercial heat treating of metals and metal products for the trade. Official examples include annealing, tempering, and brazing. Establishments that both fabricate a metal product and heat treat it are classified elsewhere according to the finished product, not in 332811. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 332812
• G2X — NAICS 332813

What this NAICS covers

• Commercial heat treating services performed “for the trade” (job shop/contract services). ²
• Annealing of metals and metal products. ²
• Tempering of metals and metal products. ²
• Brazing of metals and metal products. ²
• Stand‑alone heat treating operations not combined with fabrication of the finished product. ²
• Heat treating of metal formed products fabricated elsewhere, within the broader 33281 industry context. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	33281	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities
NAICS	332812	Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers
NAICS	332813	Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring

Industry definition and boundaries (official)

• Primary activities: heat treating metals and metal products, including annealing, tempering, and brazing. ²
• Boundary rule: if an establishment both fabricates a metal product and heat treats it, classify by the manufactured product’s NAICS, not in 332811. ²
• Placement: 332811 sits within 33281, which encompasses coating, engraving, heat treating, and allied metal finishing activities. ²

SBA small business size standard

For NAICS 332811, the Small Business Administration size standard is 750 employees (number‑of‑employees based), effective March 17, 2023, per SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards. ³

Data availability (Economic Census 2022)

Manufacturing sector data on a 2022 NAICS basis, including industries in 31–33 and the 33281 group that contains 332811, are released on a flow basis and accessible via data.census.gov and Census FTP. ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What activities qualify under NAICS 332811?
  Establishments primarily engaged in heat treating metals and metal products for the trade, including annealing, tempering, and brazing, fall under 332811. Fabricators that heat treat their own products are classified by the product manufactured rather than under this code. ²

• How does 332811 differ from 332812 and 332813?
  332811 covers heat treating (e.g., annealing, tempering, brazing). 332812 covers coating/engraving services to manufacturers (e.g., galvanizing, powder coating), and 332813 covers electroplating, polishing, anodizing, and coloring. ²

• When should a firm avoid using 332811?
  Avoid 332811 if the establishment both fabricates a metal product and heat treats it; NAICS directs classification by the manufactured product’s NAICS in such cases, not under this heat-treating code. ²

• What is the SBA small business size standard for 332811?
  The SBA size standard for NAICS 332811 is 750 employees. SBA’s table also indicates whether a standard is revenue- or employee-based; this industry uses an employee-based threshold. ³

• Where can official statistics for this industry be found?
  The Census Bureau’s 2022 Economic Census manufacturing tables provide industry-level statistics on a NAICS 2022 basis for sector 31–33, including the 33281 group that encompasses 332811. ⁴

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 332811 overview
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 332811 (definition, scope, cross‑references). ²
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). ³
• Census — 2022 NAICS Sector 31–33 Manufacturing data tables (Economic Census). ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — 2017 NAICS Manual overview page (NAICS purpose, OMB adoption in 1997). https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2017/econ/2017-naics-manual.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022 Industry 332811: Metal Heat Treating (definition, examples, cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=332811&year=2022&details=0813
3. U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Small Business Size Standards, effective March 17, 2023 (NAICS 332811 = 750 employees). https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
4. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS Sector 31–33 Manufacturing (Economic Census data tables and FTP). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-31-33.html