Analysis
NAICS 33911 is the 2022 NAICS industry for medical equipment and supplies manufacturing, part of 3391 (Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing). Census lists 175 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 8,825 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 308,388 people at an average annual payroll of $83,545 per employee (72nd percentile of national industries). 51% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Census lists 9 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 33451, 32721, 32619 and 45613. 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.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 11% and employment rose 9%. 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.
Across its national industries Census lists 175 index entries; typical ones are anesthesia apparatus manufacturing, adhesive tape, medical, manufacturing, abrasive points, wheels, and disks, dental, manufacturing and contact lenses manufacturing.
Its goods appear in 91 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 9018 (instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical…), 9021 (orthopedic appliances, including crutches, surgical belts…) and 6115 (panty hose, tights, stockings, socks and other hosiery…). 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 medical equipment and supplies. Examples of products made by these establishments are surgical and medical instruments, surgical appliances and supplies, dental equipment and supplies, orthodontic goods, ophthalmic goods, dentures, and orthodontic appliances.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing laboratory instruments, X-ray apparatus, electromedical apparatus (including electronic hearing aids), and thermometers (except medical) | 33451 Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing molded glass lens blanks | 32721 Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing molded plastics lens blanks | 32619 Other Plastics Product Manufacturing |
| Retailing and grinding prescription eyeglasses | 45613 Optical Goods Retailers |
| Manufacturing sporting goods helmets and protective equipment | 33992 Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing general purpose hospital, laboratory, and/or dental furniture (e.g., stools, tables, benches) | 33712 Household and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing laboratory scales and balances, laboratory furnaces and ovens, and/or laboratory centrifuges | 33399 All Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing laboratory distilling equipment | 33324 Industrial Machinery Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing laboratory freezers | 33341 Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing |
Index entries (175)
- Anesthesia apparatus manufacturing
- Adhesive tape, medical, manufacturing
- Abrasive points, wheels, and disks, dental, manufacturing
- Contact lenses manufacturing
- Bridges, custom made in dental laboratories