NAICS 333242

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal framework for categorizing business establishments so agencies can compile, analyze, and publish statistics on the U.S. economy. Created under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was jointly developed by the U.S. Economic Classification Policy Committee, Statistics Canada, and Mexico’s INEGI to ensure cross-country comparability. The current statistical vintage used in the Economic Census is NAICS 2022. ¹

Under NAICS 2022, 333242 designates Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing. Official NAICS text describes this industry as establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing wafer processing equipment, semiconductor assembly and packaging equipment, and other semiconductor-making machinery. This classification is applied across federal statistical programs to tabulate manufacturing activity for these equipment producers. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 333242 overview
• G2X — NAICS 334413 overview
• G2X — NAICS 334515 overview

What this NAICS covers

• Wafer fabrication process equipment for semiconductor manufacturing (e.g., deposition, etch, lithography, clean). ²
• Diffusion, ion implantation, and related front-end wafer processing machinery. ²
• Back-end semiconductor assembly and packaging equipment (e.g., die attach, wire bond, encapsulation). ²
• Supporting semiconductor-making machinery such as wafer handling and transfer tools designed for fab processes. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Related NAICS

• 334413 — Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing; for establishments that make semiconductors/devices themselves rather than the equipment used to manufacture them. ³
• 334515 — Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals; covers electronic test and measurement instruments often used alongside semiconductor production equipment. ⁴
• 334516 — Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing; includes analytical/metrology instruments (e.g., electron microscopes) that may be used for wafer inspection and analysis, distinct from process tools. ⁵
• 333249 — Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing; catch-all for specialized industrial machinery not elsewhere classified, relevant when equipment is not uniquely semiconductor-specific. ⁶
• 811219 — Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance; used for repair/maintenance services on precision electronic equipment, potentially including semiconductor manufacturing tools. ⁷

Related PSC

• 3695 — Miscellaneous Special Industry Machinery; product code commonly applied when procuring specialized industrial production equipment without a more specific PSC. ⁸
• J036 — Maintenance, Repair, and Rebuilding of Equipment—Special Industry Machinery; service code for sustaining semiconductor production equipment. ⁹
• K036 — Modification of Equipment—Special Industry Machinery; service code for upgrading or modifying fab tools. ¹⁰
• N036 — Installation of Equipment—Special Industry Machinery; service code for installing semiconductor manufacturing machinery. ¹¹
• 6625 — Electrical and Electronic Properties Measuring and Testing Instruments; product code often used for parametric testers and related electronic metrology used with semiconductor devices. ¹²

Frequently asked questions

• What products are covered by NAICS 333242?

  Establishments primarily manufacture semiconductor wafer fabrication tools (e.g., deposition, etch, lithography, diffusion, ion implantation, cleaning) and back-end assembly/packaging equipment (e.g., die attach, wire bonding, encapsulation), along with semiconductor-specific handling and transfer machinery used in fab processes. ²

• Are lithography systems (including EUV) in scope for 333242?

  Yes. Lithography is part of wafer processing, which is expressly included in semiconductor-making machinery. The NAICS definition does not name specific tool brands or modalities; it is technology-agnostic and process-focused. Not specified by official sources ².

• How is 333242 different from 334413?

  NAICS 333242 covers establishments that manufacture equipment used to make semiconductors. NAICS 334413 covers establishments that manufacture semiconductors and related devices themselves. They are complementary but distinct activities. ³

• Do installation, maintenance, or upgrade services for fab tools belong in 333242?

  Service work is generally not classified under a manufacturing NAICS. Repair and maintenance align to NAICS 811219, while PSCs like J036, K036, and N036 are commonly used in procurement for these services. ⁷

• Are metrology and inspection tools classified in 333242?

  Often no. Many analytical and inspection instruments (e.g., electron microscopes, defect inspection, analytical lab tools) align to NAICS 334516. Some inline process-control functions may be bundled with fab tools, but dedicated analytical instruments typically classify under 334516. ⁵

Useful resources

• Census NAICS 2022 — Official definition and details for NAICS 333242 (Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=333242&year=2022&details=333242
• 2022 NAICS Manual (PDF) — Full NAICS 2022 manual with definitions, cross-references, and structure: https://www.census.gov/naics/2022NAICS/2022_NAICS_Manual.pdf
• NAICS Search Tool (Census) — Look up codes, titles, and definitions across vintages; compare similar industries: https://www.census.gov/naics/
• NAICS Concordances — Crosswalks to compare 2017 and 2022 NAICS structures and identify any changes affecting 333242: https://www.census.gov/naics/concordances/
• Census guidance on NAICS — How NAICS is used, coding principles, and tips for classifying establishments: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/guidance/understanding-naics.html
• data.census.gov — Access Economic Census and manufacturing datasets; filter by NAICS 333242 to view industry-specific statistics: https://data.census.gov/
• SBA Size Standards by NAICS — Current small business size standards and methodology (see manufacturing section for applicability to 333242): https://www.sba.gov/size-standards
• SBA Table of Size Standards (download) — PDF/Excel tables keyed to six-digit NAICS codes: https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards
• SAM.gov Contract Data Reports — Build award and spending reports; filter by NAICS 333242 to analyze federal obligations: https://sam.gov/reports/awards/standard
• Acquisition.gov PSC Manual — Official Product and Service Codes manual to identify PSCs aligned to semiconductor manufacturing equipment: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
• PSC Tool (psctool.us) — Search and browse PSCs used in federal procurement (complements the official PSC Manual): https://psctool.us/
• BLS Producer Price Index (PPI) — Industry index for Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (series PCU333242333242): https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/PCU333242333242
• USITC HTS — Tariff classifications for “Machines for manufacturing semiconductor devices” (HTS heading 8486) relevant to trade/Customs research: https://hts.usitc.gov/?query=8486
• BIS Commerce Control List — Category 3 (Electronics) controls for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and parts: https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/commerce-control-list-ccl
• Census NAPCS — Product line classifications to help align manufactured products and components associated with NAICS 333242: https://www.census.gov/naics/napcs/

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS: https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS search result for 333242 (Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=333242&year=2022&details=333242
3. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS search result for 334413 (Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=334413&year=2022&details=334413
4. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS search result for 334515 (Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=334515&year=2022&details=334515
5. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS search result for 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=334516&year=2022&details=334516
6. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS search result for 333249 (Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=333249&year=2022&details=333249
7. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS search result for 811219 (Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=811219&year=2022&details=811219
8. PSC Tool — 3695 (Miscellaneous Special Industry Machinery): https://psctool.us/codes/3695
9. PSC Tool — J036 (Maintenance, Repair, and Rebuilding of Equipment—Special Industry Machinery): https://psctool.us/codes/J036
10. PSC Tool — K036 (Modification of Equipment—Special Industry Machinery): https://psctool.us/codes/K036
11. PSC Tool — N036 (Installation of Equipment—Special Industry Machinery): https://psctool.us/codes/N036
12. PSC Tool — 6625 (Electrical and Electronic Properties Measuring and Testing Instruments): https://psctool.us/codes/6625