2022 NAICS national industry in sector 21 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
212220 Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining
NAICS 212220 is the US industry code for gold ore and silver ore mining. It covers establishments primarily engaged in developing the mine site, mining, and/or beneficiating (i.e., preparing) ores valued chiefly for their gold and/or silver content.
- Code
- 212220 (2022 NAICS)
- Title
- Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining
- Part of
- Metal Ore Mining
- SBA small business limit
- Up to 1,500 employees
- Closest UK SIC
- 07290 (details)
Changes coming. The NAICS 2027 revision applies to data from 1 January 2027, and SBA proposed new size standards on 20 August 2026. The values on this page are the ones in force today; we update this page when the official files change.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in developing the mine site, mining, and/or beneficiating (i.e., preparing) ores valued chiefly for their gold and/or silver content. Establishments primarily engaged in the transformation of the gold and silver into bullion or dore bar in combination with mining activities are included in this industry.
When to use a different code
Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:
- Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing gold or silver bullion or dore bar without mining are classified in Industry 331410, Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining.
Activities listed under 212220
The Census index assigns these 15 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.
- Bullion, gold, produced at the mine
- Bullion, silver, produced at the mine
- Calaverite mining and/or beneficiating
- Gold lode mining and/or beneficiating
- Gold ore mine site development for own account
- Gold ore mining and/or beneficiating plants
- Gold ores, concentrates, bullion, and/or precipitates mining and/or beneficiating
- Gold placer mining and/or beneficiating
- Lode gold mining and/or beneficiating
- Placer gold mining and/or beneficiating
- Placer silver mining and/or beneficiating
- Silver ore mine site development for own account
- Silver ores mining and/or beneficiating
- Sylvanite mining and/or beneficiating
- Telluride (gold) mining and/or beneficiating
SBA size standard for 212220
To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 212220, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed 1,500 employees. Check your business.
Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.
Closest UK SIC 2007 codes
There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 0729), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.
Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.
Similar codes to compare
Data last changed November 14, 2026. How this page is built.