Analysis
NAICS 56142 is the 2022 NAICS industry for telephone call centers, part of 5614 (Business Support Services). Census lists 16 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 4,141 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 386,187 people at an average annual payroll of $38,852 per employee (8th percentile of national industries). 35% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 20% and employment fell 15%. 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 42, 51821, 49221 and 51711. 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 16 index entries; typical ones are answering services, telephone and customer service call centers.
It splits into 2 more detailed codes. The largest by establishments is 561422 (Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers) with 3,106.
Official definition
This industry comprises (1) establishments primarily engaged in answering telephone calls and relaying messages and (2) establishments primarily engaged in providing telemarketing services, such as promoting products or services by telephone; taking orders by telephone, facsimile, email, or other communication modes; and soliciting contributions or providing information by telephone. Telephone call centers provide these services on behalf of clients and do not own the products or provide the services that they are representing, or they serve other establishments of the same enterprise.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Wholesale or retail sales | 42 Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade |
| Providing automated data processing services and computing infrastructure for call centers | 51821 Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services |
| Providing restaurant meal and grocery order and delivery services (i.e., independent order and delivery services) | 49221 Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
| Providing paging and beeper transmission services | 51711 Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) |
| Organizing and conducting charitable fundraising campaigns on a contract or fee basis, that may include telephone solicitation services | 56149 Other Business Support Services |
| Gathering, recording, tabulating, and presenting marketing and public opinion data, that may include telephone canvassing services | 54191 Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling |
Index entries (16)
- Answering services, telephone
- Customer service call centers