Understanding and Finding SOC Codes for Your Employees

Purpose

Some states require Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes for each employee on quarterly unemployment (SUTA) returns. This article explains what SOC codes are, which states need them, where to look yours up, and how to enter them in UZIO. The same screen also holds the Treasury Tipped Occupation Code (TTOC) used for W-2 Box 12 Code TP.

Who can do this: Any user whose role includes the Payroll permission, or the employee-level payroll permission for individual records. This is usually the Employer Admin, but other admin roles can be granted the same access.

Which states require SOC codes

Alaska, Louisiana, South Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia require SOC codes on quarterly payroll returns. Indiana supports them but does not mandate them. State requirements change; check with the state agency if you are unsure.

For employees who work in a state that requires SOC codes, a missing code is a critical blocker: payroll cannot start until it is entered. The message reads "[Employee] SOC code is missing in the system." See Troubleshooting: I Can't Start or Approve Payroll.

What an SOC code is (and is not)

An SOC code is a six-digit federal statistical code from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that categorizes workers by occupation (duties and skills). It is written as two digits, a hyphen, and four digits, for example 43-4051. Do not confuse it with:

• NAICS codes, which classify the business by industry, not the worker.
• Workers' comp codes, which are insurance classifications used to price workers' compensation risk.

Finding the right code

Steps: Enter an SOC code

1. Open the employee's profile.
2. Click the Payroll tab.
3. In the right-side menu, click SOC Code. The page heading is Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code.
4. Enter the SOC code for the employee's occupation (up to 10 characters; numbers, hyphens, and periods only) and its effective date.
5. Save. A View History link shows prior codes once more than one has been recorded.

Also on this screen: Treasury Tipped Occupation Codes (TTOC)

The SOC Code screen carries a second card, Treasury Tipped Occupation Code (TTOC). This is a separate federal code with a different job:

The on-screen description links to the Treasury's PDF list of the 71 qualifying tipped occupations. To assign codes, click Edit TTOC Code, then use the TTOC Code(s) multiselect ("Type either the code or description to filter the list of 71 occupations"). You can assign at most 2 ("You can assign a maximum of 2 tipped occupation codes."), and you can clear both if the employee leaves tipped work. A TTOC Code History modal tracks every change with the change date, the code, and its occupation title. A dash is shown for codes later deactivated by the Treasury.

The two codes on this screen do different things. SOC classifies the occupation for state SUTA reporting. TTOC flags qualifying tipped occupations for federal W-2 Box 12 Code TP (Qualified Tips) reporting. An employee can need both, either, or neither. The overtime-side counterpart, Code TT, is covered in Managing Qualified Overtime.

Expected outcome

• The SOC code is included on the applicable state's quarterly SUTA return for that employee.
• Any assigned TTOC codes drive Code TP (Qualified Tips) reporting in W-2 Box 12 starting Tax Year 2026.

Related articles

• Adding State Tax Information
• Setting Up Employee Payroll
• Setting Up Workers' Compensation Codes
• Managing Qualified Overtime: the W-2 Box 12 Code TT counterpart
• Year-End W-2s and Tax Documents