Analysis
NAICS 33411 is the 2022 NAICS industry for computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing, part of 3341 (Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing). Census lists 50 example activities under it in the official index.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 39% and employment fell 22%. 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.
County Business Patterns counts 557 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 31,508 people at an average annual payroll of $122,029 per employee (92nd percentile of national industries). 39% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Census lists 6 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 33421, 33461, 33431 and 33441. 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.
Across its national industries Census lists 50 index entries; typical ones are analog computers manufacturing, CD-ROM drives manufacturing and ATMs (automated teller machines) manufacturing.
Its goods appear in 48 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 8471 (automatic data processing machines and units thereof…), 8443 (printing machinery used for printing by means of plates…) and 8528 (monitors and projectors, not incorporating television…). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing and/or assembling electronic computers, such as mainframes, personal computers, workstations, laptops, and computer servers; and computer peripheral equipment, such as storage devices, printers, monitors, and input/output devices and terminals. Computers can be analog, digital, or hybrid. Digital computers, the most common type, are devices that do all of the following: (1) store the processing program or programs and the data immediately necessary for the execution of the program; (2) can be freely programmed in accordance with the requirements of the user; (3) perform arithmetical computations specified by the user; and (4) execute, without human intervention, a processing program that requires the computer to modify its execution by logical decision during the processing run. Analog computers are capable of simulating mathematical models and comprise at least analog, control, and programming elements.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing digital telecommunications switches, and local area network and wide area network communications equipment, such as bridges, routers, and gateways | 33421 Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing blank magnetic and optical recording media | 33461 Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media |
| Manufacturing external audio speakers for computer use | 33431 Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing internal loaded printed circuit board devices, such as sound, video, controller, and network interface cards; internal and external computer modems; and semiconductor storage devices, such as memory chips | 33441 Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing digital cameras | 33331 Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing |
| Retailing computers with on-site assembly | 44921 Electronics and Appliance Retailers |
Index entries (50)
- Analog computers manufacturing
- CD-ROM drives manufacturing
- ATMs (automated teller machines) manufacturing