Analysis
NAICS 541850 is the 2022 national industry for indoor and outdoor display advertising, part of 54185 (Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising). Census lists 12 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 2,442 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 22,089 people at an average annual payroll of $83,034 per employee (72nd percentile of national industries). 64% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which marks it as a small-business industry.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 12% and employment fell 16%. 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.
Census lists 6 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 541890, 541810, 518210 and 32311. 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 advertising services, indoor or outdoor display, advertising, aerial, billboard display advertising services and bus card advertising services, among 12 in all.
For example, providing sign lettering and painting services are classified in 541890 (Other Services Related to Advertising) instead.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in creating and designing public display advertising campaign materials, such as printed, painted, or electronic displays; and/or placing such displays on indoor or outdoor billboards and panels, or on or within transit vehicles or facilities, shopping malls, retail (in-store) displays, and other display structures or sites.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Providing sign lettering and painting services | 541890 Other Services Related to Advertising |
| Creating advertising campaigns and placing such advertising in print and digital media (except indoor and outdoor display structures and sites) | 541810 Advertising Agencies |
| Providing access for clients to advertising servers and/or real-time bidding marketplaces from a central host site (except by publishers, Web search portals, and other content providers) | 518210 Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services |
| Printing paper or paperboard signs | 32311 Printing |
| Erecting display boards | 238990 All Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
| Manufacturing electrical, mechanical, or plate signs and point-of-sale advertising displays | 339950 Sign Manufacturing |
Index entries (12)
- Advertising services, indoor or outdoor display
- Advertising, aerial
- Billboard display advertising services
- Bus card advertising services
- Bus display advertising services
- Indoor display advertising services
- Outdoor display advertising services
- Out-of-home media (i.e., display) advertising services
- Store display advertising services
- Subway card display advertising services
- Taxicab card advertising services
- Transit advertising services