NAICS 2022 · in 33149
331492
Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum)
Analysis
NAICS 331492 is the 2022 national industry for secondary smelting, refining, and alloying of nonferrous metal (except copper and aluminum), part of 33149 (Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying). Census lists 32 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 187 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 9,490 people at an average annual payroll of $79,163 per employee (67th percentile of national industries). 25% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which points to larger operations.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 13% and employment rose 3%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
By establishments it ranks 2nd of the 2 codes at this level within Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying, with 48.4% of them.
Census lists 5 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 331314, 423930, 331491 and 562920. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include alloying purchased nonferrous metals (except aluminum…, detinning scrap (e.g., cans), germanium recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased… and gold recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals, among 32 in all.
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) alloying purchased nonferrous metals and/or (2) recovering nonferrous metals from scrap. Establishments in this industry make primary forms (e.g., bar, billet, bloom, cake, ingot, slab, slug, wire) using smelting or refining processes.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Recovering aluminum and aluminum alloys from scrap and/or alloying purchased aluminum | 331314 Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum |
| Sorting, breaking up, and wholesaling scrap metal without also smelting or refining | 423930 Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers |
| Recovering nonferrous metals from scrap and rolling, drawing, or extruding shapes in integrated facilities | 331491 Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding |
| Operating facilities where commingled recyclable materials, such as paper, plastics, used beverage cans, and metals, are sorted into distinct categories without also smelting or refining | 562920 Materials Recovery Facilities |
| Recovering copper and copper alloys from scrap and making primary forms, and/or alloying purchased copper | 331420 Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying |
Index entries (32)
- Alloying purchased nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper)
- Detinning scrap (e.g., cans)
- Germanium recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Gold recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Ingot, nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper), secondary smelting and refining
- Iridium recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Lead recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Magnesium recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Metal powder and flake nonferrous (except aluminum, copper) made from purchased metal
- Nickel recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Nonferrous alloys (except aluminum, copper) made from purchased nonferrous metals
- Nonferrous alloys (except aluminum, copper) made in integrated secondary smelting and alloying plants
- Nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper) secondary smelting and refining
- Paste, nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper), made from purchased metal
- Platinum recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Powder, nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper), made from purchased metal
- Precious metals recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Recovering and refining of nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper) from scrap
- Recovering silver from used photographic film or X-ray plates
- Refining nonferrous metals and alloys (except aluminum, copper), secondary
- Secondary refining of nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper)
- Secondary smelting of nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper)
- Selenium recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Silver recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Silver recovering from used photographic film or X-ray plates
- Smelting and refining of nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper), secondary
- Smelting nonferrous metals (except aluminum, copper), secondary
- Superalloys, nonferrous based, made from purchased metals or scrap
- Tin recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals
- Tungsten carbide powder made by metallurgical process
- Zinc dust reclaiming
- Zinc recovering from scrap and/or alloying purchased metals