Summary of Size Standards by Industry

Size guidelines define the maximum size that a firm (including its affiliates) can be to qualify as a small business for most SBA programs.

Size standards usually are a measure of a business's number of employees or its average annual receipts.

Based on those criteria, the SBA has established the following common standards for a small business, depending on its North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code:

• 500 employees for most manufacturing and mining industries, and
• $7 million in average annual receipts for most non-manufacturing industries.

There are many exceptions, but these are the primary size standards for most industries.  For complete information on size standards, see the SBA’s Small Business Size Regulations (13 CFR Part 121) or the Table of Small Business Size Standards.

Size Standards for principal NAICS Sectors

Construction

• General building and heavy construction contractors: $33.5 million
• Special trade construction contractors: $14 million
• Land subdivision: $7 million
• Dredging: $20 million

Manufacturing

• About 75 percent of the manufacturing industries: 500 employees
• A small number of industries: 1,500 employees
• The balance: either 750 or 1,000 employees

Mining

• All mining industries, except mining services: 500 employees