Analysis
NAICS 54172 is the 2022 NAICS industry for research and development in the social sciences and humanities, part of 5417 (Scientific Research and Development Services).
It has only one more detailed code, 541720, which covers exactly the same activities; the definition, index entries and statistics are on that page.
County Business Patterns counts 2,082 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 46,634 people at an average annual payroll of $91,802 per employee (79th percentile of national industries). 58% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
By establishments it ranks 2nd of the 2 codes at this level within Scientific Research and Development Services, with 9.3% of them.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 6% and employment rose 24%. 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.
Official definition
See industry description for 541720.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.