By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing management consulting services (except administrative and general management consulting; human resources consulting; marketing consulting; or process, physical distribution, and logistics consulting). Establishments providing telecommunications or utilities management consulting services are included in this industry.
FY2025 obligations
$843.3M
Contract actions
1,182
IDVs
108
Top buying agencies
- Department of Health and Human Services$575.1M
- Department of Defense$79.2M
- Department of the Treasury$45.0M
- Department of State$37.6M
- Department of Homeland Security$34.4M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
NAICS 541618 obligated $843 million in FY2025 across 1,182 contract actions, and HHS accounts for $575 million of it. A 68 percent share for a single civilian agency is close to unique among management consulting codes. DoD is a distant second at $79 million, followed by Treasury at $45 million, State at $38 million, and DHS at $34 million.
What belongs here
Management consulting that is not administrative and general management, human resources, marketing, or process and logistics. Telecommunications and utilities management consulting are named inside the industry.
- General management and strategy advisory is 541611.
- Human capital and benefits advisory is 541612.
- Marketing and communications strategy is 541613.
- Operations and supply chain advisory is 541614.
Competing in this code
Only 108 IDVs support 1,182 actions, which is low vehicle coverage for professional services and means a meaningful share of this work competes as standalone awards. Combined with the HHS concentration, the practical strategy is narrow: build past performance with CMS, HRSA, or the operating divisions inside HHS, where program and policy advisory dominates the requirement. The $19 million size standard is one of the lower ones in the consulting family, so small business status is worth more here than in 541611. The failure mode is registering in this residual code as a primary and never surfacing in searches for the four named consulting specialties above it.
Frequently Asked
NAICS 541618 questions, answered.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 541618?
SBA sets it at $19 million in average annual receipts, averaged over your last five completed fiscal years. Come in at or under that and you are small on every NAICS 541618 solicitation, including the set-asides.
Which agencies buy other management consulting under NAICS 541618?
FY2025 obligations: HHS ($575 million), DoD ($79 million), Treasury ($45 million), State ($38 million), DHS ($34 million). HHS at 68 percent makes this a health-agency consulting market that happens to sit in a residual code.
Why is HHS such a large share of NAICS 541618?
Because health program and policy advisory work does not fit cleanly into general management, human resources, marketing, or logistics consulting, so it lands in the residual code. HHS obligated $575 million of the code's $843 million in FY2025, concentrated in the operating divisions and CMS.
Is NAICS 541618 a good primary registration?
Only if HHS-style program advisory is your actual business. It is defined by exclusion from the four named consulting specialties, so buyers searching for strategy, HR, marketing, or logistics consulting will not find you here. Most firms should hold 541611 or a named specialty as primary and 541618 as secondary.
Register Under NAICS 541618
Classify your business correctly to maximize visibility to federal buyers and access small business set-asides.
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