Industries

Browsing PlainEmployers by Industry

The industry index organizes records by their primary economic activity. For regulated datasets this usually maps to an official classification — NAICS, SIC, SOC, or an agency-specific scheme — and we preserve the original code alongside a plain-language label so that researchers using either vocabulary can find what they need. Where multiple classification schemes disagree on where a record belongs, we default to the scheme used by the issuing agency and note the difference on the industry page.

Reading Industry-Level Data

Aggregate industry numbers are most useful for trend-spotting and comparative framing; they are less useful for decisions about a single employer, contractor, or facility. A high industry-average does not mean every record in the industry sits at the average, and a low industry-average does not mean outliers are not present. When an industry-level view would obscure a material within-industry difference, we drill down to sub-industries or to the records themselves and flag the drill-down on the industry page.

NAICS Classification Drift

Industry classifications change over time. A record that was categorized one way in 2018 may be categorized differently today, either because the underlying business changed or because the classification scheme was updated. We use the latest available classification for each record as of the last data refresh, and we publish the refresh date at the bottom of the industry page. For historical analyses where continuity of classification matters, consult the raw source data linked from the methodology page.

Editorial Independence

Our industry coverage is dictated by the dataset and by visitor demand, not by advertisers or commercial partners. We do not accept paid placement in the industry index; we do not remove industries from the index at a sponsor's request; and we do not prioritize industries for editorial coverage based on revenue potential. If a specific industry appears under-covered, the reason is typically that the underlying dataset has sparse records there, not that we are suppressing it.