NAICS 561421: Telephone Answering Services
Telephone Answering Services is NAICS code 561421. A business is small under it with $19 million or less in average annual receipts. No federal contracts are open under this code right now.
- SBA size standard
- $19 million or less in average annual receipts
- Open contracts now
- 0
- Federal spending, FY2026
- $161.9 million
- Share won by small businesses
- 7%
- Small businesses registered
- 892
What NAICS 561421 covers
The Census Bureau's NAICS index lists these kinds of work under 561421:
- Answering services, telephone
- Emergency telephone dispatch (i.e., contractor) services
- Local call centers (e.g., answering services, message services)
- Message services, telephone answering
- Telephone call forwarding services
- Voice mailbox services
- Wakeup call services
Read the full definition, including what's excluded, on census.gov.
SBA size standard for 561421
To count as a small business for a contract assigned NAICS 561421, your business must have $19 million or less in average annual receipts. Receipts are averaged over your last five completed fiscal years.
From SBA's table of size standards, effective Mar 17, 2023. Confirm it with SBA's size standards tool before you certify your size.
Who buys telephone answering services
Agencies that awarded the most under NAICS 561421 over the last three fiscal years, per USAspending.gov:
| Agency | Obligated |
|---|---|
| Department of State | $584.6 million |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $73.4 million |
| Internal Revenue Service | $18.3 million |
| Department of the Army | $11.6 million |
| Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration | $8.1 million |
| Department of the Air Force | $6.6 million |
| Defense Health Agency | $3.8 million |
| Office of the Comptroller of the Currency | $1.6 million |
Your competition
892 businesses with active SAM.gov registrations are rated small under NAICS 561421, most of them in Texas (119), Florida (98), Virginia (79), Georgia (70) and Maryland (66). Look any of them up with the free CAGE code and UEI lookup.
Federal spending under 561421 by year
| Fiscal year | Contract obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | $250.9 million |
| FY2025 | $276.9 million |
| FY2026 | $161.9 million |
| FY2027 (so far) | $13.7 million |
Source: USAspending.gov, all contract awards with this NAICS code. Fiscal years start October 1.
Related NAICS codes
- 561410 Document Preparation Services
- 561422 Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers
- 561431 Private Mail Centers
- 561439 Other Business Service Centers (including Copy Shops)
- 561440 Collection Agencies
- 561450 Credit Bureaus
- 561491 Repossession Services
- 561492 Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
Frequently asked questions
What is NAICS code 561421?
561421 is the 2022 NAICS code for Telephone Answering Services. The Census Bureau's index lists work such as answering services, telephone, emergency telephone dispatch (i.e., contractor) services, local call centers (e.g., answering services, message services) under it. Federal contracting uses the 2022 codes.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 561421?
$19 million or less in average annual receipts. A business at or under that is small for contracts assigned this code. The current SBA table took effect Mar 17, 2023.
Are there government contracts for telephone answering services?
None are open on SAM.gov right now, but new notices post daily. You can set up a free alert for this code.
How do I add NAICS code 561421 to my SAM.gov registration?
Update your entity registration on SAM.gov and add the code on the Goods and Services page, in the Assertions section. You can list several NAICS codes and mark one as your primary. Changes are free.
Keep going
- Search other NAICS codes by keyword or company
- How to choose NAICS codes for government contracts
- NAICS codes with the most open federal contracts
FedReady is an independent company, not affiliated with SBA, SAM.gov, the Census Bureau or any government agency. Open-contract counts come from SAM.gov and update daily; spending figures come from USAspending.gov.