NAICS Code 54171: Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
NAICS industry
Definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in conducting research and experimental development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences, such as agriculture, electronics, environmental, biology, botany, biotechnology, computers, chemistry, food, fisheries, forests, geology, health, mathematics, medicine, nanotechnology, oceanography, pharmacy, physics, veterinary, and other allied subjects.
Code facts
- Part of
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-
54
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541
- 5417
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541
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54
- Codes under it
- 3
- Contract awards
- 7,288 In the last 12 months
- Contract obligations
- $59,118,135,503 In FY2025
NAICS codes and definitions come from the U.S. Census Bureau, size standards from the SBA and contract spending from SAM.gov/FPDS.
Contract obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Obligated |
|---|---|
| FY2027 To date | $1,231,819,015 |
| FY2026 | $55,543,635,133 |
| FY2025 | $59,118,135,503 |
| FY2024 | $59,464,819,024 |
| FY2023 | $62,784,137,485 |
Top contractors by obligations
| Rank | Contractor | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC | $3,599,619,943 | |
| 2 | California Institute Of Technology | $2,072,569,936 | |
| 3 | The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC | $2,016,566,356 | |
| 4 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $1,780,060,521 | |
| 5 | Raytheon Company | $1,726,851,448 | |
| 6 | Massachusetts Institute Of Technology | $1,501,743,170 | |
| 7 | The Mitre Corporation | $1,499,011,775 | |
| 8 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $1,477,992,668 | |
| 9 | The Aerospace Corporation | $1,147,585,663 | |
| 10 | Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | $1,043,620,918 |
See the full FY2025 ranking of NAICS 54171 contractors, by parent company.
Top funding agencies by obligations
| Rank | Agency | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Force | $12,791,153,549 | |
| 2 | Department of the Navy | $8,805,651,203 | |
| 3 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $6,596,605,519 | |
| 4 | Department of Energy | $6,167,441,049 | |
| 5 | Department of the Army | $5,836,676,691 | |
| 6 | Missile Defense Agency | $5,166,484,998 | |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | $3,832,798,956 | |
| 8 | Office of the Secretary of Defense | $3,771,776,836 | |
| 9 | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | $966,003,453 | |
| 10 | Washington Headquarters Service | $743,071,344 |
Top PSC codes by obligations
| Rank | PSC code | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AC32 National Defense R&D Services; Defense-Related Activities; Applied Research | $6,488,154,508 | |
| 2 | AC13 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense – Military; Experimental Development | $6,142,115,246 | |
| 3 | R425 Engineering and Technical Services | $5,843,638,225 | |
| 4 | M1HA Operation of Government-Owned Contractor-Operated (GOCO) R&D Facilities | $4,638,163,685 | |
| 5 | AC12 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense – Military; Applied Research | $3,139,154,440 | |
| 6 | 5840 Radar Equipment, Except Airborne | $2,818,025,712 | |
| 7 | AR12 Space R&D Services; Space Flight, Research and Supporting Activities; Applied Research | $1,724,591,505 | |
| 8 | AN12 Health R&D Services; Health Care Services; Applied Research | $1,452,992,619 | |
| 9 | 4470 Nuclear Reactors | $1,274,719,958 | |
| 10 | AC33 National Defense R&D Services; Defense-Related Activities; Experimental Development | $1,252,795,048 |
Contract obligations by state
| Rank | Place of performance | Obligated, last 12 months | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $8,448,457,519 | |
| 2 | Virginia | $8,347,754,976 | |
| 3 | Alabama | $5,416,334,520 | |
| 4 | Maryland | $5,277,436,168 | |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $4,522,044,382 | |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $3,163,026,248 | |
| 7 | Colorado | $3,061,912,415 | |
| 8 | New Jersey | $2,922,767,190 | |
| 9 | Arizona | $2,218,588,056 | |
| 10 | Ohio | $1,737,448,542 | |
| 11 | New York | $1,705,642,368 | |
| 12 | Texas | $1,532,039,752 | |
| 13 | Illinois | $1,062,707,421 | |
| 14 | Florida | $990,255,586 | |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $908,208,185 | |
| 16 | South Carolina | $583,640,854 | |
| 17 | Georgia | $560,016,996 | |
| 18 | North Carolina | $455,535,219 | |
| 19 | New Mexico | $428,623,791 | |
| 20 | Utah | $383,406,272 | |
| 21 | Connecticut | $259,595,011 | |
| 22 | Indiana | $222,432,947 | |
| 23 | West Virginia | $204,096,006 | |
| 24 | Tennessee | $202,486,579 | |
| 25 | Washington | $187,352,276 | |
| 26 | Michigan | $157,223,990 | |
| 27 | Hawaii | $144,985,718 | |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $139,830,943 | |
| 29 | Minnesota | $117,086,224 | |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $107,714,233 | |
| 31 | Missouri | $98,736,056 | |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $77,034,380 | |
| 33 | Louisiana | $73,263,517 | |
| 34 | Delaware | $45,716,627 | |
| 35 | Vermont | $40,946,122 | |
| 36 | North Dakota | $39,326,568 | |
| 37 | Mississippi | $38,732,589 | |
| 38 | Alaska | $35,500,541 | |
| 39 | South Dakota | $30,902,683 | |
| 40 | Nevada | $29,709,955 | |
| 41 | Kentucky | $27,509,756 | |
| 42 | Nebraska | $26,857,561 | |
| 43 | Maine | $23,798,485 | |
| 44 | Iowa | $23,224,988 | |
| 45 | Oregon | $15,056,726 | |
| 46 | Kansas | $12,788,572 | |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $9,948,848 | |
| 48 | Idaho | $9,819,840 | |
| 49 | Montana | $9,632,240 | |
| 50 | Arkansas | $4,967,456 | |
| 51 | Wyoming | $1,388,621 | |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $59,062 | |
| 53 | Guam | $14,395 |
Show all 53
Shares are of everything obligated under NAICS 54171 in the last 12 months before deobligations, including work performed abroad or with no place of performance on record.
Contract opportunities
Show 40 more
Latest 50 of 51,165 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Codes under 54171
| NAICS code | Size standard |
|---|---|
| 541713 Research and Development in Nanotechnology | 1,000 employees |
| 541714 Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) | 1,000 employees |
| 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) | 1,000 employees |
Quick answers
What is NAICS 54171?
NAICS 54171 is Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences, a NAICS industry in NAICS 54, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.
What codes are under NAICS 54171?
NAICS 54171 has 3 codes under it with their own GovTribe pages: 541713 Research and Development in Nanotechnology; 541714 Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology); and 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology).
How much do federal agencies spend under NAICS 54171?
Federal contracts under NAICS 54171 obligated $59,118,135,503 in fiscal year 2025 and $238,142,546,160 in fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
Who are the largest contractors under NAICS 54171?
The contractors with the most obligated under NAICS 54171 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC ($3,599,619,943); California Institute Of Technology ($2,072,569,936); and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC ($2,016,566,356).
Which agencies buy the most under NAICS 54171?
The agencies that obligated the most under NAICS 54171 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Air Force ($12,791,153,549), Department of the Navy ($8,805,651,203) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration ($6,596,605,519).
Which PSC codes are used with NAICS 54171?
The PSC codes with the most obligated under NAICS 54171 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are AC32 National Defense R&D Services; Defense-Related Activities; Applied Research, AC13 National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense – Military; Experimental Development and R425 Engineering and Technical Services.
Where is the work under NAICS 54171 performed?
By place of performance, the states with the most contract obligations under NAICS 54171 over the last 12 months are California ($8,448,457,519), Virginia ($8,347,754,976) and Alabama ($5,416,334,520).
What is the latest contract opportunity under NAICS 54171?
The latest contract opportunity under NAICS 54171 is Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) Request for Enhanced Whitepapers (RWP): AMTC-27-01, special notice from Department of the Army, posted November 12, 2026.
On GovTribe
See everything under NAICS 54171
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