LinkedIn Industry Codes
LinkedIn Industry Codes are standardized categories developed by LinkedIn to classify companies and professionals across industries. LinkedIn Industry Codes help organize LinkedIn's vast network by industry, allowing users to filter, search, and analyze companies, job postings, and profiles within specific industries. LinkedIn Industry Codes are used by recruiters, job seekers, sales and marketing professionals to target specific industry groups, create tailored searches, and analyze trends. The classification hierarchy runs up to six levels, though most industries have at most three levels.
Metadata
| Publisher type | Commercial |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Jurisdictions | Global |
Introduction
Each LinkedIn Industry Code is a numerical identifier used to group companies and job adverts across a wide range of industries. LinkedIn assigns these codes to company profiles and job postings to organize search functionalities, improve content recommendations, and facilitate targeted advertising. Unlike in national or international industry classification systems where the number of digits in a specific industry code indicates the level of detail (with 1-digit, 2-digit or 3-digit industries and so on), a LinkedIn code does not indicate the level of detail. The codes are simply identification numbers, for which no specific interpretation has been provided by LinkedIn. While LinkedIn Industry Codes are generally aligned with other classifications, notably the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), they were developed for application in LinkedIn’s global network with its diverse user needs.
Versions
Industry Codes V2 (Current)
LinkedIn Industry Codes V2 expanded the number of industries to 434 compared to 149 in the first version, with a detailed hierarchy also provided for each industry in the official documentation of the codes. Each code in LinkedIn Industry Codes v2 represents a specific industry, like "Investment Banking" (code 45), "Apparel Manufacturing" (code 598), and "Armed Forces" (code 71). The hierarchy of the system goes up to six levels deep: 20 first-level industries, 145 second-level industries, 227 third-level industries, 37 fourth-level industries, 4 fifth-level industries, and 1 sixth-level industry. Except for "Technology, Information and Media" which has six sub-categories and "Entertainment Providers" and "Manufacturing" which both have four sub-categories, the other 17 first-level industries have at most three sub-categories. At the third-level, the Manufacturing sector has the most detail with 61 industries followed by Professional Services and Government Administration with 29 and 18 industries respectively. The table below shows the sub-categories of each of the 20 first-level industries in the LinkedIn Industry Codes V2.
Industry | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 |
Accommodation Services | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Administrative and Support Services | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Construction | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Consumer Services | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Education | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Entertainment Providers | 5 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Farming, Ranching, Forestry | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Financial Services | 4 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Government Administration | 8 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Holding Companies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hospitals and Health Care | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Manufacturing | 22 | 61 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Oil, Gas, and Mining | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Professional Services | 12 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Real Estate and Equipment Rental Services | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Retail | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Technology, Information and Media | 2 | 10 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain and Storage | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Utilities | 4 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Wholesale | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 145 | 227 | 37 | 4 | 1 |
Resources
Industry Codes V1 (Legacy)
The existence of LinkedIn Industry Codes V1 can be traced back to October 2009 and their usefulness for recruiters has been highlighted as far back as 2010. However, LinkedIn Industry Codes could have been released earlier as the need for LinkedIn to organize its diverse user base into clear and searchable industrial categories on the website would have been evident from its launch in May 2003. The introduction of LinkedIn Industry Codes was essential to enhancing LinkedIn's functionality, making it an effective tool for professional networking and industry engagement. Unlike national statistical agencies who announce public consultations for the creation or revision of national industrial classification systems, LinkedIn likely developed its Industry Codes following an internal process. As currently documented, LinkedIn Industry Codes V1 contains 147 industries covering a wide range of activities such as Alternative Medicine (code 125), Graphic Design (code 140), and Management Consulting (code 11).
Resources
LinkedIn Industry Codes V3 (Upcoming)
LinkedIn has not made any official statement regarding a potential LinkedIn Industry Codes V3. However, with the release in 2023 of new versions of international classification systems like the United Nation's ISIC and the European Union's NACE, the need for an update is likely to have been considered within the company.
Where is it used?
Job Seekers and Business Owners: Job seekers use LinkedIn Industry Codes to find relevant opportunities, optimize their LinkedIn profiles, network with professionals, recruiters, or mentors within their field. For business owners, using the right LinkedIn Industry Code is also crucial for attracting their desired audience and visibility for their business.
Recruiters: Recruiters use LinkedIn Industry Codes to filter and find candidates from specific industries and manage their job-posting processes.
Sales and Marketing: Sales professionals use LinkedIn Industry Codes to identify and target businesses within their industry niche. By focusing on specific industry codes, they can tailor their outreach to companies for more effective lead generation.
Further Resources
Other resources
Kelli Hrivnak. How to Optimize your LinkedIn Profile so you can be found by recruiters.
Claire Mulligan. LinkedIn Industries 101: How To Choose The Perfect Industry Code.
LinkedIn. How Search Filters Work in Recruiter.
LinkedIn. LinkedIn Jobs XML Guide for Customers.
Trevor Fox. The Complete LinkedIn Industry List (+ Linked Ads Categories).
LinkedHelper. How to use LinkedIn industries list for campaigns and automation.
Deksia. LinkedIn Ads Targeting by Industry.
booleanblackbelt.com. A Better Way to Search LinkedIn for Industry Experience.