The Complete LinkedIn Industry List

When someone asks you what you do for work, chances are you’ll reply with your industry: “I work in IT,” or “Oh, I’m in Retail,” or “I’m in Marketing” sector.

You can specify further if the person is curious or if you know each other well enough to go into detail.

LinkedIn does the same.

Once you join the platform, it asks you about your industry. It applies to individuals’ profiles and company pages alike.

Every industry comes with a few sub-industries, as it were.

Let’s take a look at what sectors are available in LinkedIn’s settings this year and why they matter in the first place.

What Is the LinkedIn Industry List?

On LinkedIn, "Industry" refers to the specific section or field that you can apply to your profile or company page.

When setting or editing your LinkedIn profile, you can choose an industry that best represents your work.

This designation helps other users, potential employers, and connections understand your professional background, fostering more meaningful networking opportunities within your industry of expertise.

It also aids in categorizing and organizing users, making it easier to connect with professionals in similar or related fields.

Selecting the appropriate industry on LinkedIn is an essential step in presenting an accurate and comprehensive profile to the professional community.

Make sure that, when people search for talent, you are being found for the key terms you want to be found for.

When recruiters are searching for candidates, they use a special type of LinkedIn account (paid) called LinkedIn Recruiter or LinkedIn Recruiter Lite.

For both, the industry is one of the filters they can use.

Given that recruiters usually get a lot of people in search results, they are usually using industry as a filter:

How Do I Show the Industry on LinkedIn?

Like some other options on LinkedIn, the industry sector list can be tricky to find.

It is much easier to do over the desktop rather than via the mobile app.

Thankfully, this option doesn’t require you to have a Premium account.

Just take a few minutes to access LinkedIn from a desktop or your laptop:

Step 1. To showcase your industry on LinkedIn, navigate to your LinkedIn profile “Intro” section.

Step 2. Click on "Add profile section," and within the "Core," section choose one of the following options:

Step 3. Pick the relevant industry from the provided list or type in your specific industry.

What industries are included in the LinkedIn industry list in 2023?

This year, LinkedIn took its industry codes from Microsoft. However, not all of them are supported on the platform.

To see the full list of LinkedIn codes that correspond to the North American Industry Classification System, you’ll need to look at their own list.

There are also differences between the LinkedIn industry list (the same for people who use the Recruiter plan) and the list specific to Sales Navigator.

The Sales Navigator list includes both specific industries and their sub-areas.

This makes targeting your chosen audience far easier.

Remember, though, that some sectors won’t appear in the drop-down menu.

This applies to industries that are very niche.

If your sector feels like it should be on the list, but you are not seeing it, try manually typing it in to see if it will appear as an option.

The LinkedIn industry list, which applies to general users and Recruiters, is far less specific than the Sales Navigator list.

The entries are more generic, though still numerous.

LinkedIn Industry List 2024 - Overview

Here’s a neatly compiled cheat sheet of all the industries on the list this year.

Each main category is bolded, and its sectors are listed as bullet points.

Just use the Find function in your browser (Control + F) or Find in Page (if you’re on mobile) to find the industry or sub-category you’re interested in.

Education

• Education Management
• E-Learning
• Higher Education
• Primary/Secondary Education
• Research

Construction

• Building Materials
• Civil Engineering
• Construction

Design

• Architecture & Planning
• Design
• Graphic Design

Corporate Services

• Accounting
• Business Supplies & Equipment
• Environmental Services
• Events Services
• Executive Office
• Facilities Services
• Human Resources
• Information Services
• Management Consulting
• Outsourcing/Offshoring
• Professional Training & Coaching
• Security & Investigations
• Staffing & Recruiting

Retail

• Retail
• Supermarkets
• Wholesale

Energy and Mining

• Mining & Metals
• Oil & Energy
• Utilities

Manufacturing

• Automotive
• Aviation & Aerospace
• Chemicals
• Defense & Space
• Electrical & Electronic Manufacturing
• Food Production
• Glass, Ceramics & Concrete
• Industrial Automation
• Machinery
• Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
• Packaging & Containers
• Paper & Forest Products
• Plastics
• Railroad Manufacture
• Renewables & Environment
• Shipbuilding

Textiles

Finance

• Banking
• Capital Markets
• Financial Services
• Insurance
• Investment Banking
• Investment Management
• Venture Capital & Private Equity

Recreation and Travel

• Airlines/Aviation
• Gambling & Casinos
• Hospitality
• Leisure, Travel & Tourism
• Restaurants
• Recreational Facilities & Services
• Sports

Arts

• Arts & Crafts
• Fine Art
• Performing Arts
• Photography

Healthcare

• Biotechnology
• Hospital & Health Care
• Medical Device
• Medical Practice
• Mental Health Care
• Pharmaceuticals
• Veterinary

Hardware and Networking

• Computer Hardware
• Computer Networking
• Nanotechnology
• Semiconductors
• Telecommunications
• Wireless

Real Estate

• Commercial Real Estate
• Real Estate

Legal

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Law Practice
• Legal Services

Consumer Goods

• Apparel & Fashion
• Consumer Electronics
• Consumer Goods
• Consumer Services
• Cosmetics
• Food & Beverages
• Furniture
• Luxury Goods & Jewelry
• Sporting Goods
• Tobacco

Wine and Spirits

Agriculture

• Dairy
• Farming
• Fishery
• Ranching

Media and Communications

• Market Research
• Marketing & Advertising
• Newspapers
• Online Media
• Printing
• Public Relations & Communications
• Publishing
• Translation & Localization
• Writing & Editing

Nonprofit

• Civic & Social Organization
• Fundraising
• Individual & Family Services
• International Trade & Development
• Libraries
• Museums & Institutions
• Non-Profit Organization Management
• Philanthropy
• Program Development
• Religious Institutions
• Think Tanks

Software and IT Services

• Computer & Network Security
• Computer Software
• Information Technology & Services
• Internet

Transportation and Logistics

• Import & Export
• Logistics & Supply Chain
• Maritime
• Package/Freight Delivery
• Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
• Warehousing

Entertainment

• Animation
• Broadcast Media
• Computer Games
• Entertainment
• Media Production
• Mobile Games
• Motion Pictures & Film
• Music

Wellness and Fitness

• Alternative Medicine
• Health, Wellness & Fitness

Public Safety

• Law Enforcement
• Military
• Public Safety

Public administration

• Government Administration
• Government Relations
• International Affairs
• Judiciary
• Legislative Office
• Political Organization
• Public Policy
  

Why Does It Matter?

Reach and target audiences are always hot topics, but there are precious few guides that tell you how to track who sees your content.

It may well be that the audience you’re actually reaching is from a different industry than your target demographic.

In short, the LinkedIn industry list matters because it decides how many eyes see your profile or company page.

If you can determine how to utilize it correctly, your presence and influence on the platform will skyrocket.

What if none of the LinkedIn industry options fit you?

This is a very real and very frustrating possibility.

Quite a few people read through the whole list and end up annoyed because none of the provided labels really describe what they do.

If this happens to you, consider the specific issue.

Usually, this “industry misfit” problem happens for one of two reasons:

• You are involved in more than one sector, or
• Your exact sector is not represented.

In other words, you work in a sector that spans multiple industries (e.g. manufacturing), or your work is very specialized (e.g. you’re a niche consultant).

How do you optimize your LinkedIn profile for that?

Your best bet would be to choose the closest denominator for your Industry section and make up the rest in your About section.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Pick whichever label from the industry list is the most important to you.

What comes closest to what you do?

To make that decision easier, try to consider it from your customer’s perspective:

• What kinds of people would you like to have as your clients?
• Which industry would such people associate with you?

Choose that.

Then, consider the information you would want to include, but your choice from the industry list doesn’t cover:

• Convert it into keywords.
• Include those phrases in your About section.
• Mention all the sectors that apply to you.
• Add the terms that describe your target customers, too.

True, it’s a bit of a roundabout method.

Choosing a sector for your profile shouldn’t be that complicated.

But since the LinkedIn industry list is the way it is, this is the best alternative solution.

Be strategic about the keywords you include, and hopefully will find you for the work you want to be found for.

Let’s sum up

LinkedIn classifies its pages and its many users by their respective industries.

This is an essential filter recruiters use when looking for new talent.

It is also used by salespeople (LinkedIn users with a paid Sales Navigator account).

Moreover, those who advertise on LinkedIn use the industries list as an Ad delivery filter.

In other words, it determines ad targeting.

We trust that you recognize the importance of indicating your expertise on LinkedIn.

This ensures that those seeking collaboration or potential employers can easily find and connect with you.

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FAQ

What Should I Put on LinkedIn for Industry?

When selecting your industry on LinkedIn, use specific and accurate terms that align with your professional background. Choose the industry that best represents your expertise and the focus of your work.

What Is the Industry on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn allows users to specify their industry to better understand their professional background. The industry designation helps users connect with others in similar fields and enhances the platform's networking capabilities.

What Industry Is Most Active on LinkedIn?

Various industries thrive on LinkedIn, with technology, finance, healthcare, and marketing being particularly active. However, the activity level may vary based on your region and network. Engage with content and connections within your specific industry to maximize your LinkedIn experience.