NAICS 333921

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the governmentwide standard for classifying U.S. business establishments, enabling consistent collection and publication of economic statistics across programs. The current NAICS vintage is 2022, with federal statistical programs transitioning to 2022-based tabulations on a published timeline. ¹

NAICS 333921 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing elevators and moving stairways (escalators). Official examples include passenger and freight elevators, escalators (moving stairways), moving walkways, dumbwaiters, and garage/service‑station automobile lifts. Commercial conveyor systems are excluded and classified to 333922. Agencies use this code to delineate manufacturing activity for statistics and program reporting. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing passenger and freight elevators ²
• Manufacturing escalators (moving stairways) ²
• Manufacturing moving walkways (moving sidewalks)
• Manufacturing dumbwaiters
• Manufacturing automobile lifts for garages/service stations
• Producing integrated elevator and escalator systems as finished equipment
• Manufacturing related lifting equipment that is part of elevator/escalator product lines

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	333922	Conveyor and Conveying Equipment Manufacturing
NAICS	333923	Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing
NAICS	333924	Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing
NAICS	238290	Other Building Equipment Contractors

Note: 333921, 333922, and 333923 are adjacent within material handling equipment manufacturing. Installation of building equipment such as elevators is classified in Construction (e.g., 238290). ²

Industry boundary notes

• Commercial conveyor systems and equipment are out of scope for 333921 and classified to 333922. ²
• Overhead traveling cranes, hoists, and monorail systems are classified to 333923. ²
• Installation of elevators, dumbwaiters, and similar building equipment is classified in Construction (e.g., 238290), not manufacturing. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What products are included under NAICS 333921?
  NAICS 333921 includes the manufacture of passenger and freight elevators, escalators (moving stairways), moving walkways, dumbwaiters, and automobile lifts used in garages and service stations. Commercial conveyors are excluded to 333922. ²

• How does 333921 differ from 333922?
  333921 covers elevators, escalators, and moving walkways; 333922 covers conveyors and conveying equipment (e.g., belt, gravity, trolley, carousel). NAICS cross-references explicitly separate elevators and moving stairways from conveyors. ²

• Are elevator installation or maintenance services included in 333921?
  333921 is a manufacturing code. Installation of elevators and similar building equipment is classified to Construction (e.g., 238290). Classification of maintenance services is not specified by official sources. ³

• Which federal datasets report statistics for this industry?
  The Economic Census publishes establishment and product statistics for Manufacturing (31–33), including 333921, via data.census.gov and downloadable tables/FTP. See “Economic Census by Industry” for 2022 NAICS-based tables. ⁴

• What is the current NAICS vintage and transition timeline?
  The current vintage is 2022. The Census Bureau began releasing 2022 NAICS-based Economic Census statistics in 2024 and is transitioning remaining programs through 2027 per its implementation schedule. ¹

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 333921
• Census NAICS: 333921 Elevator and Moving Stairway Manufacturing — definition, examples, cross-references. ²
• Census: Implementation of the 2022 NAICS — vintage, program transition timeline. ¹
• Economic Census by Industry — access 2022 NAICS sector and industry tables. ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS. https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 333921 (2022): definition, examples, cross-references. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=333921&year=2022&details=333921
3. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 238290 (2022): Other Building Equipment Contractors (installation of elevators and related equipment). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=238290&year=2022&details=238290
4. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census by Industry (tables by NAICS; 2022 vintage). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/tables/industry.html