What are the 4 classifications of industry?
Primary (raw materials), secondary (manufacturing), tertiary (services), and quaternary (knowledge and information).
Economists commonly group industries into four broad classifications: primary (extracting raw materials), secondary (manufacturing), tertiary (services), and quaternary (knowledge and information services).
NAICS takes those high-level ideas and divides the economy into detailed sectors and 6-digit codes so agencies can track spending and apply small business rules precisely. For government contractors, most opportunities fall in tertiary and quaternary spaces such as professional services, IT, logistics, and research.
GovCon in a Box can help
Our NAICS tools help you identify codes that match real buying behavior, so your profile, SBA programs, and pipeline all align with what federal buyers actually purchase.