561421 Telephone Answering Services

Official definition

This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in answering telephone calls and relaying messages on behalf of clients or for other establishments of the same enterprise.

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:

• Establishments primarily engaged in providing paging or beeper transmission services are classified in U.S. Industry 517112, Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite).

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

Businesses that use this code

• Call center

Activities listed under 561421

The Census index assigns these 8 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Answering services, telephone
• Emergency telephone dispatch (i.e., contractor) services
• Local call centers (e.g., answering services, message services)
• Message services, telephone answering
• Telephone answering services
• Telephone call forwarding services
• Voice mailbox services
• Wakeup call services

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 561421

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 561421, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed $19 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: 8220), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 82200Activities of call centresUK SIC

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

Similar codes to compare

• 561422Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers