Standard Occupational Codes (SOC) in Gusto
This article is for admins who manage employee profiles in Gusto.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes describe what kind of work a person does. The government and businesses use them to organize and track occupational data. Some states require SOC codes on quarterly tax forms. If yours does, we’ll prompt you to add them.
Important: SOC codes are not the same as Risk Class Codes (RCC) used for Workers’ Compensation.
Understand SOC codes
SOC codes focus on what your employees do, not what your business does. They differ from NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes:
NAICS codes describe your business’s primary activity.
SOC codes describe your employees’ main job duties.
Check if your state requires SOC codes
Some states require SOC codes on quarterly tax forms. If your state requires them, we’ll:
Prompt you to add SOC codes, and
Automatically include them on tax forms if you’ve added them to the employee’s profile.
If your state does not use SOC codes, you will not find an option to add them in Gusto.
If your state does not use SOC codes, you will not find an option to add them in Gusto. Use the table below for more details and code lookup tools:
State
Requirement
Example
Where to find codes
Alaska
Employers should report both:
Geographic codes (where the employee works—the primary location)
SOC codes (employee’s main job duties)
Geographic code example
If your business is in Anchorage, but an employee primarily works in Fairbanks, use the Fairbanks code. If an employee works in more than one place, use the code for where they spend the most time.
SOC code example
Use the 6-digit code that best describes the employee’s activities.
In some cases, the state expands the 6-digit code to identify occupations important to the state. For example, a seafood processing worker = SOC code 51-3022.05.
Alaska's occupational code lookup tool
Indiana
SOC codes are optional and follow federal SOC standards.
—
Indiana's SOC code lookup tool
Louisiana
SOC codes required
—
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics guide to finding SOC codes, or contact your local agency.
South Carolina
SOC codes required
—
South Carolina’s SOC code lookup tool and resources
Washington
SOC codes required
Exception: You do not need a code if the employee is exempt from WA State Unemployment Insurance. We will not ask for a code if you set up an exemption.
—
Washington's SOC code lookup tool
West Virginia
SOC codes required
—
Use the federal guidelines for SOC codes or the Department of Labor’s lookup tool.
For more help, try West Virginia's Occupation Code Almanac (a comprehensive guide).
Use these guidelines to pick the SOC code that best fits your employee’s role:
If the employee does more than one job, choose the one that needs the most skill or education.
If both jobs need the same level of skill, choose the one they do most often.
If the employee switched jobs this quarter, enter their most recent role.
For more guidance, visit the agency’s SOC resources.
Some states require SOC codes on quarterly tax forms. If your state requires them, we’ll prompt you to add them and automatically include them on tax forms. If your state does not use SOC codes, you will not find an option to add them in Gusto.
Option 1: From your Home page notification
To add SOC codes from your Home page:
Click the Add your employees’ occupational codes to-do
Under the employee’s name, click Let’s do it.
In their Taxes section, scroll to the state tax section.
Click Edit.
Use the SOC lookup tool to find the right code.
Not sure what code to use? Try the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics guide to finding SOC codes or contact your local agency.
Enter the code, including the dash (use only the first 6 digits, like XX-XXXX).
Click Save.
Option 2: From the employee’s profile
To add SOC codes from the employee’s profile:
Go to People.
Select the employee.
In their Taxes section, scroll to the state tax section.
Click Edit.
Use the SOC lookup tool to find the right code.
Not sure what code to use? Try the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics guide to finding SOC codes or contact your local agency.
Enter the code, including the dash (use only the first 6 digits, like XX-XXXX).
Click Save.
Q: My employee no longer works in Washington, but Gusto still asks for an SOC code. What should I do?
A: Enter any code. Since they no longer work in Washington, we will not report the code to the state.
If you do not know what code to use, try the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics guide to finding SOC codes or contact your local agency. Contact us if you’re having trouble entering SOC codes in Gusto. To contact us, sign in to your Gusto account and click the help icon 
in the top-right corner of the page.