Analysis
NAICS 561410 is the 2022 national industry for document preparation services, part of 56141 (Document Preparation Services). Census lists 15 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 4,375 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 36,170 people at an average annual payroll of $37,211 per employee (7th percentile of national industries). 73% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which marks it as a small-business industry.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 15% and employment fell 30%. 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 7 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 561492, 323120, 541930 and 518210. 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 desktop publishing services (i.e., document preparation…, dictation services, document preparation services and document transcription services, among 15 in all.
For example, providing verbatim reporting and stenotype recording of live legal proceedings and transcribing subsequent recorded materials are classified in 561492 (Court Reporting and Stenotype Services) instead.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) letter or resume writing; (2) document editing or proofreading; (3) typing, word processing, or desktop publishing; and (4) stenography (except court reporting or stenotype recording), transcription, and other secretarial services.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Providing verbatim reporting and stenotype recording of live legal proceedings and transcribing subsequent recorded materials | 561492 Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
| Performing prepress and postpress services in support of printing activities | 323120 Support Activities for Printing |
| Providing document translation services | 541930 Translation and Interpretation Services |
| Providing data entry and other data processing services | 518210 Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services |
| Independent (freelance) writing, including technical and advertising copy writing | 711510 Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers |
| Photocopying, duplicating, and other document copying services, with or without a range of other office support services (except printing) | 561439 Other Business Service Centers (including Copy Shops) |
| Providing document copying services in combination with printing services, with or without a range of other office support services, and establishments known as quick or digital printers | 323111 Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) |
Index entries (15)
- Desktop publishing services (i.e., document preparation services)
- Dictation services
- Document preparation services
- Document transcription services
- Editing services
- Letter writing services
- Proofreading services
- Radio transcription services
- Resume writing services
- Secretarial services
- Stenographic services (except court or stenographic reporting)
- Technical editing services
- Transcription services
- Typing services
- Word processing services