NAICS 541 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

Industries in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services subsector group establishments engaged in processes where human capital is the major input. These establishments make available the knowledge and skills of their employees, often on an assignment basis, where an individual or team is responsible for the delivery of services to the client. The individual industries of this subsector are defined on the basis of the particular expertise and training of the services provider.

The distinguishing feature of the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services subsector is the fact that most of the industries grouped in it have production processes that are almost wholly dependent on worker skills. Thus, the establishments classified in this subsector sell expertise. Much of the expertise requires degrees, though not in every case.

• Encompasses establishments providing expert knowledge and specialized professional services.
• Production depends heavily on skilled labor and advanced degrees or certifications.
• Includes diverse industries such as legal, accounting, engineering, and scientific research.
• Typical contract sizes range from small consulting projects to large R&D efforts.
• Government contracting often involves task orders and multi-year agreements.
• Services are frequently delivered on an assignment or project basis.

• Providing engineering design and consulting services.
• Conducting scientific research and development projects.
• Offering legal, accounting, and auditing services.
• Delivering IT consulting and cybersecurity solutions.
• Performing environmental and regulatory compliance assessments.
• Developing architectural and survey services.
• Managing project and program consulting engagements.
• Providing technical testing and analysis services.

• Engineering and architectural firms.
• Scientific research organizations.
• Legal and accounting practices.
• IT and cybersecurity consulting companies.
• Environmental consulting firms.
• Management and technical consulting enterprises.