541990 All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

Official definition

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the provision of professional, scientific, or technical services (except legal services; accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and related services; architectural, engineering, and related services; specialized design services; computer systems design and related services; management, scientific, and technical consulting services; scientific research and development services; advertising, public relations, and related services; market research and public opinion polling; photographic services; translation and interpretation services; and veterinary services).

Examples Census gives

• Appraisal (except real estate) services
• Marine surveyor (i.e., appraiser) services
• Arbitration and conciliation services (except by lawyer, attorney, or paralegal offices)
• Patent broker services (i.e., patent marketing services)
• Commodity inspector services
• Pipeline or power line inspection (i.e., visual) services
• Consumer credit counseling services
• Weather forecasting services
• Handwriting analysis services

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Providing legal services are classified in Industry Group 5411, Legal Services.
• Providing accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services are classified in Industry Group 5412, Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services.
• Providing architectural, engineering, and related services are classified in Industry Group 5413, Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services.
• Providing specialized design services are classified in Industry Group 5414, Specialized Design Services.
• Providing computer systems design and related services are classified in Industry Group 5415, Computer Systems Design and Related Services.
• Providing management, scientific, and technical consulting services are classified in Industry Group 5416, Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services.
• Providing scientific research and development services are classified in Industry Group 5417, Scientific Research and Development Services.
• Providing advertising and related services are classified in Industry Group 5418, Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services.
• Providing marketing research and public opinion polling are classified in Industry 541910, Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling.
• Providing photographic services are classified in Industry 54192, Photographic Services.
• Providing translation and interpretation services are classified in Industry 541930, Translation and Interpretation Services.
• Providing veterinary services are classified in Industry 541940, Veterinary Services.
• Providing real estate appraisal services are classified in Industry 531320, Offices of Real Estate Appraisers.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Activities listed under 541990

The Census index assigns these 23 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Appraisal (except real estate) services
• Arbitration and conciliation services (except by attorney, paralegal)
• Business brokers (except real estate brokers)
• Commodity inspection services
• Construction estimation services
• Consumer credit counseling services
• Credit repair (i.e., counseling) services, consumer
• Electronic communication content verification services
• Estate assessment (i.e., appraisal) services
• Fire extinguisher testing and/or inspection, without sales, service, or installation
• Handwriting analysis services
• Handwriting expert services
• Marine forecasting services
• Marine surveyor (i.e., ship appraiser) services
• Mediation product services (except by lawyer, attorney, paralegal offices, family and social services)
• Meteorological services
• Patent broker services (i.e., patent marketing services)
• Patrolling (i.e., visual inspection) of electric transmission or gas lines
• Pipeline inspection (i.e., visual) services
• Power line inspection (i.e., visual) services
• Quantity surveyor services
• Waterless fire suppression system testing and/or inspection, without sales, service, or installation
• Weather forecasting services

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 541990

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 541990, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed $19.5 million in average annual receipts. 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: 6910, 7490, 8030, 8890), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 69101Barristers at lawUK SIC
• 69102SolicitorsUK SIC
• 69109Activities of patent and copyright agents; other legal activities n.e.c.UK SIC
• 74901Environmental consulting activitiesUK SIC
• 74902Quantity surveying activitiesUK SIC
• 74909Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.UK SIC
• 80300Investigation activitiesUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.

Similar codes to compare

• 541910Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling
• 541930Translation and Interpretation Services
• 541940Veterinary Services