By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing instruments and instrumentation systems for laboratory analysis of the chemical or physical composition or concentration of samples of solid, fluid, gaseous, or composite material.
FY2025 obligations
$861.8M
Contract actions
11,213
IDVs
664
Top buying agencies
- Department of Veterans Affairs$322.6M
- Department of Defense$178.5M
- Department of Health and Human Services$95.6M
- Department of Justice$71.7M
- Department of Agriculture$49.3M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
NAICS 334516 obligated $862 million in FY2025 across 11,213 contract actions, and DoD is not the top buyer. VA leads at $323 million for clinical laboratory instrumentation across its medical centers, DoD follows at $179 million, HHS at $96 million, DOJ at $72 million for forensic laboratories, and USDA at $49 million for food safety and agricultural testing. Four of the five are civilian, which is unusual for a manufacturing code at this scale.
What belongs here
Instruments and instrumentation systems for laboratory analysis of the chemical or physical composition or concentration of solid, fluid, gaseous, or composite samples.
- X-ray, gamma, and other irradiation equipment is 334517.
- Electromedical and electrotherapeutic devices are 334510.
- Performing the analysis rather than selling the instrument is 541380.
Competing in this code
664 IDVs against 11,213 actions at an average around $77,000 describes catalog and schedule buying, not program procurement. That structure favors manufacturers who put instruments plus consumables plus service on a federal vehicle and let the orders arrive. The consumables tail matters more than the instrument margin: VA and DOJ laboratories buy reagents, columns, and calibration standards continuously against the installed base. Winning the instrument placement is what earns the annuity, which is why aggressive instrument pricing is rational in this code and often decisive.
Frequently Asked
NAICS 334516 questions, answered.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 334516?
SBA sets it at 1,000 employees, counted as a 24-month average headcount across your company and every affiliate, not revenue. At or under that number you are small on NAICS 334516 solicitations and eligible for the set-asides in this code.
Which agencies buy laboratory instruments under NAICS 334516?
FY2025 obligations: VA ($323 million), DoD ($179 million), HHS ($96 million), DOJ ($72 million), USDA ($49 million). VA leads and four of the five top buyers are civilian, which makes this one of the few instrument codes where defense past performance is optional.
How is laboratory instrumentation actually bought by federal agencies?
Mostly through catalog vehicles and schedules. 11,213 FY2025 actions averaged around $77,000, supported by 664 IDVs. Instruments, consumables, and service contracts get ordered against existing vehicles, not competed individually, so vehicle presence with a complete catalog is worth more than proposal capability.
Why does instrument placement matter more than instrument margin?
Because federal laboratories buy reagents, columns, calibration standards, and service against the installed base continuously. VA and DOJ laboratory demand in particular is recurring consumables spend. Winning the placement creates the annuity, which is why a competitive instrument price is an investment here, not a discount you regret.
Register Under NAICS 334516
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