Benchmarks
LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks 2026: CPC, CTR, CPM & Cost per Lead
Last updated: November 2026 · Data period: calendar 2025 (Metadata, Dreamdata), plus ZenABM's report published February 2026
LinkedIn is the most expensive major ad platform per click, and for many B2B teams it's still the one that pays off best. In 2026 that tension is sharper than ever: costs keep rising, buying journeys keep getting longer, and yet LinkedIn's share of B2B ad budgets is still growing.
That's exactly why benchmarks matter. A $9 click looks outrageous next to Meta, but it can be perfectly normal on LinkedIn, and it can still produce the best return in your mix once you look at revenue instead of clicks. The trick is knowing which numbers are reliable and which ones are recycled guesswork.
For this guide, AdBacklog.com compiled the most reliable 2025–2026 LinkedIn benchmark sources we could find: spend-weighted B2B benchmarks from Metadata, country and format medians from ZenABM (including the Netherlands), revenue-attributed ROAS from Dreamdata comparing LinkedIn with Google Search and Meta, and the newest LinkedIn ad formats worth testing. Looking for last year's numbers? See the 2025 edition.
Key takeaways
The average LinkedIn Ads CPC for B2B was $9.39 in calendar 2025, with a $63.19 CPM and a 0.67% CTR, according to Metadata's spend-weighted data on 138 advertisers (region not stated).
The average LinkedIn Ads cost per lead was $202 in calendar 2025, at a 5.9% click-to-lead rate, according to Metadata.
In the Netherlands, the median LinkedIn Ads CPC was $6.40 and the median CTR 0.72%, against $8.99 and 0.52% in the US, according to ZenABM's report published 16 February 2026.
LinkedIn returned an average revenue-attributed B2B ROAS of 121% in 2025, ahead of Google Search (67%) and Meta (51%), according to Dreamdata (EU-heavy customer base).
Thought Leader Ads had the lowest median CPC of any LinkedIn format at $2.29, but their 2.68% CTR includes "see more" expansions and profile clicks, so it isn't comparable with other formats (ZenABM).
Data caveat: no disclosed 2025–2026 dataset breaks LinkedIn Ads performance down by industry; the per-industry tables that circulate online come from roundups without a primary methodology.
Why do LinkedIn Ads benchmarks matter in 2026?
On LinkedIn, almost every metric looks "bad" next to other channels. Benchmarks help you separate what's normal for the platform from what's genuinely broken. Use them to answer questions like:
Am I overpaying for reach? (CPM high even by LinkedIn standards)
Is my creative or format the issue? (CTR low for the format I'm using)
Is my offer the bottleneck? (click-to-lead rate and CPL lagging)
Is LinkedIn actually driving revenue? (ROAS measured on pipeline, not form fills)
The biggest mistake we see: judging LinkedIn on CPC alone. A cheap click that never becomes pipeline is more expensive than a pricey one that does.
What are the key LinkedIn Ads metrics (and how do they connect)?
CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions): spend ÷ impressions × 1,000
CTR (click-through rate): clicks ÷ impressions
CPC (cost per click): spend ÷ clicks
Click-to-lead rate: leads ÷ clicks (or lead form completion rate for Lead Gen Forms)
CPL (cost per lead): spend ÷ leads (roughly CPC ÷ click-to-lead rate)
ROAS (return on ad spend): attributed revenue ÷ spend. In B2B this only means something if you connect ad data to CRM revenue.
Why format changes what "good" looks like
LinkedIn formats behave very differently. Thought Leader Ads count more kinds of interactions as clicks, Text Ads barely get clicked at all, and video is bought for views rather than clicks. Always benchmark against the same format, not against a platform-wide average.
LinkedIn Ads benchmarks by industry (2026)
The honest answer first: no disclosed 2025–2026 dataset breaks LinkedIn performance down by industry; the best available B2B baseline is a $9.39 CPC and a $202 CPL in calendar 2025, according to Metadata. The per-industry tables that circulate online come from roundups without a primary methodology, often aggregating other blogs, and their CPCs sit far below the disclosed datasets below. We don't republish them. Instead, we give you the best data that does exist: a spend-weighted B2B baseline, country splits and format medians. For industry-specific guidance, see the playbooks further down, which are directional and qualitative.
The B2B baseline: Metadata
Table 1 - LinkedIn Ads B2B benchmarks (spend-weighted, calendar 2025)
Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
CTR | 0.67% |
CPC | $9.39 |
CPM | $63.19 |
Click-to-lead rate | 5.9% |
CPL | $202 |
Source: Metadata.io, 138 B2B advertisers, $57.6M total spend, calendar 2025, spend-weighted, region not stated.
By country: US, UK and the Netherlands
Table 2 - LinkedIn Ads medians by country (2026 report)
Country | CTR | CPC | CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
United States | 0.52% | $8.99 | $62.67 |
United Kingdom | 0.55% | $9.16 | $56.62 |
Netherlands | 0.72% | $6.40 | $50.08 |
Source: ZenABM, 211 B2B companies, 161,256 ads, $5.5M spend across 29 countries, published 16 February 2026.
ZenABM also gives CPL ranges by region: North America $200–250, Europe $120–150, APAC $80–120 and LATAM $60–90.
By ad format
Table 3 - LinkedIn Ads medians by format (2026 report)
Format | CTR | CPC | CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
Thought Leader Ads* | 2.68% | $2.29 | $49.37 |
Single Image | 0.42% | $13.23 | $59.15 |
Video | 0.24% | $15.61 | $38.94 |
Carousel | 0.32% | $13.30 | $45.28 |
Document | 0.43% | n/a | n/a |
Event | 0.55% | n/a | n/a |
Text | 0.02% | n/a | ~$2 |
Source: ZenABM, medians, published 16 February 2026. *Thought Leader Ads CTR is not comparable with the other formats: it includes "see more" expansions and profile clicks, and ZenABM itself warns against comparing it with single-image CTR. Its click-to-landing-page median is around 0.43% (ZenABM).
On lead quality, ZenABM puts the average LinkedIn Lead Gen Form conversion rate at around 10%, with high performers at 15% or more. Demo offers convert at 2–5%, content offers at 10–15%.
LinkedIn vs Google Search vs Meta: revenue-attributed ROAS
Table 4 - B2B ROAS by channel (revenue-attributed, 2025)
Channel | Average ROAS | Top performers |
|---|---|---|
121% | 279% | |
Google Search | 67% | 138% |
Meta | 51% | 133% |
Source: Dreamdata LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks Report 2026, B2B customers (EU-heavy customer base, reported in EUR), 2025 data.
Dreamdata also reports that LinkedIn ROAS rose from 113% to 121% year over year, that the average LinkedIn CPC in its data was €5.98 (vs €1.60 on Meta), and that the cost per company influenced was €70.11. Digital Applied reports a LinkedIn CPM of €34.33 from the same report (Digital Applied).
What this data is really telling you
A CPC near $9 is normal. Both Metadata ($9.39) and ZenABM's US median ($8.99) land in the same place. If your CPC is close to those figures, the problem isn't your bidding.
Format choice moves cost more than targeting tweaks. In ZenABM's data, Single Image ($13.23) and Carousel ($13.30) CPCs dwarf the $2.29 median for Thought Leader Ads. Just remember that the TLA click is a different kind of click.
The attribution model decides the "winner". On platform-attributed ecommerce ROAS, Google usually comes out on top. On B2B revenue attribution, Dreamdata finds LinkedIn ahead of both Google Search and Meta. If you only look at last-click form fills, you'll likely underinvest in LinkedIn.
Patience is part of the benchmark. Dreamdata measures an average of 281 days from first ad impression to revenue, across 4 channels and 88 touchpoints per buyer journey. Judging LinkedIn after one month says very little.
Your offer matters as much as your ad. The gap between demo offers (2–5%) and content offers (10–15%) in ZenABM's data shows how much the ask drives CPL.
What about Europe and the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is cheaper and more engaged than the US and UK. ZenABM's Dutch medians (0.72% CTR, $6.40 CPC, $50.08 CPM) beat both the US and UK on every metric in Table 2.
European leads cost less. ZenABM's Europe CPL range of $120–150 sits well below North America's $200–250.
Dreamdata's numbers are European-flavored. Dreamdata's customer base is EU-heavy and reported in euros, which makes its €5.98 CPC a useful reference for European B2B teams.
EMEA as a whole (directional only): Huble lists EMEA at 0.28% CTR and $5.17 CPC and notes it was the only region where CPC didn't decrease. The year of that data is unclear, so use it as context, not as a benchmark.
LinkedIn Ads trends 2025–2026: what changed?
LinkedIn keeps winning B2B budget
LinkedIn now takes 41% of B2B ad budgets (+2 points year over year), while the share going to non-branded search fell from 37% to 33%, according to Dreamdata. Primer's B2B data is more mixed: in its panel of 379 B2B advertisers, LinkedIn's share of paid budget stayed roughly flat between Dec–Feb and Jun–Aug 2026, while Google fell from 43.6% to 40.9% and Meta rose from 20.8% to 24.9% (Primer).
Costs keep climbing
Comparing Dec–Feb with Jun–Aug 2026, Primer saw LinkedIn CPCs rise 18% for ABM advertisers and CPMs rise 43% for PLG advertisers. For the same advertiser, LinkedIn CPM is typically 5.3x Meta's and 8.3x Google display's.
B2B is going multi-channel
Meta adoption among B2B advertisers rose from 54% to 63% in Primer's data. Still, 59% of companies with $1–10M revenue run on only one of Google, LinkedIn or Meta, compared with 22% of companies above $50M (Primer). Buyer journeys are also getting more complex: 4 channels and 88 touchpoints per buyer, up from 3.7 and 76 (Dreamdata).
New LinkedIn ad features worth using right now (2026)
The performance claims below are LinkedIn's own. They're self-reported, often phrased as "up to", and not independently verified.
Thought Leader Ads
Thought Leader Ads let you promote posts from employees and executives. They come with the lowest CPC in ZenABM's format data, but their CTR includes "see more" expansions and profile clicks, so judge them on landing-page clicks and pipeline rather than headline CTR.
BrandLink (video next to publisher and creator content)
BrandLink, the rebranded Wire Program from May 2025, places your video as pre-roll on publisher and creator content. According to LinkedIn's own data, advertisers see on average a 130% higher video completion rate and a 23% higher view rate than with standard video ads, and viewers are up to 18% more likely to become a lead (LinkedIn).
Accelerate (AI-powered campaigns)
LinkedIn claims its AI campaign type delivers "up to 42% lower cost per action" than business-as-usual Classic campaigns, based on its own analysis of 67 A/B tests run between October 2023 and September 2024 (LinkedIn). At launch, the claim was 52% (Digiday). Either way, it's LinkedIn grading its own product, so test it against your Classic setup.
Industry playbooks: what should you do differently by vertical?
No reliable industry benchmark data exists for LinkedIn, so these playbooks are directional and qualitative.
B2B SaaS: how do you get pipeline, not just leads?
Run Thought Leader Ads from founders and product leaders to warm up accounts, then retarget engagers with a demo offer.
Use content offers for volume and demo offers for intent, and track both through to pipeline.
Connect LinkedIn to your CRM; with long cycles, last-click will undervalue it.
Financial services and insurance: how do you build trust?
Lead with expertise: market outlooks, research and executive commentary.
Use Document Ads for gated reports, and keep compliance review in your workflow from the start.
Professional services and consulting: how do you sell expertise?
Partners and consultants as faces of the brand work well through Thought Leader Ads.
Use Event Ads for webinars and round tables, then nurture attendees.
Manufacturing and industrial: how do you reach a narrow buying group?
Target by job function, seniority and company list rather than broad industry.
Show the product in action with video, and retarget viewers with spec sheets or case studies.
Education and recruitment: how do you work with career intent?
LinkedIn's audience is already in a career mindset, so focus messaging on outcomes and career progression.
Lead Gen Forms reduce friction for brochure and information-session requests.
Actionable recommendations
1) Diagnose with the CPM → CTR → CVR → CPL ladder
High CPM: audience too narrow or too senior. Widen job functions or company lists, or test a cheaper market such as the Netherlands if it fits your ICP.
Low CTR: compare against your format's median, not the platform average. Then rework the hook or switch format.
Weak click-to-lead rate: offer problem. Test a content offer against a demo offer, or switch to Lead Gen Forms.
Good CPL, no pipeline: targeting or lead quality problem. Tighten the audience and add qualifying questions.
2) Run a 30-day LinkedIn test plan
Week 1: baseline CTR, CPC, CPM and CPL per format and country.
Week 2: add Thought Leader Ads next to your Single Image campaign and compare landing-page clicks, not headline CTR.
Week 3: test a content offer against a demo offer.
Week 4: test Accelerate against a Classic campaign with a comparable budget.
3) Measure LinkedIn on revenue, over the right time frame
With buying journeys that run for months, report on pipeline and revenue influenced, and compare LinkedIn with Google and Meta on the same attribution model.
Frequently asked questions
How much does LinkedIn advertising cost per click in 2026?
The average B2B LinkedIn Ads CPC was $9.39 in calendar 2025, according to Metadata's spend-weighted data (region not stated). ZenABM's February 2026 report puts the median CPC at $8.99 in the US, $9.16 in the UK and $6.40 in the Netherlands.
How much does LinkedIn advertising cost per lead?
The average LinkedIn Ads CPL was $202 in calendar 2025, according to Metadata (138 B2B advertisers, region not stated). ZenABM gives regional CPL ranges of $200–250 for North America and $120–150 for Europe.
What is a good CTR for LinkedIn Ads?
The spend-weighted B2B average was 0.67% in calendar 2025, according to Metadata. By format, ZenABM's February 2026 medians are 0.42% for Single Image, 0.32% for Carousel and 0.24% for Video, so compare against the format you run.
Is LinkedIn Ads worth it for B2B compared with Google and Meta?
On revenue attribution, yes: Dreamdata measured an average B2B ROAS of 121% for LinkedIn in 2025, against 67% for Google Search and 51% for Meta (EU-heavy customer base). Measure it over the right time frame, since Dreamdata finds an average of 281 days from first ad impression to revenue.
What are LinkedIn Ads benchmarks for the Netherlands and Europe?
Dutch medians were a 0.72% CTR, $6.40 CPC and $50.08 CPM in ZenABM's report published 16 February 2026, better than the US and UK on every metric. ZenABM puts European CPL at $120–150, and Dreamdata's EU-heavy 2025 data shows an average LinkedIn CPC of €5.98.
What is a good LinkedIn Lead Gen Form conversion rate?
Around 10% is average and 15% or more is strong, according to ZenABM's 2026 report. The offer matters: demo offers convert at 2–5%, content offers at 10–15%.
Conclusion: what does good LinkedIn Ads performance look like in 2026?
LinkedIn will never be cheap. In Metadata's spend-weighted B2B data, a $9.39 CPC and a $202 CPL are the norm. What makes LinkedIn worth it is what happens after the click: in Dreamdata's revenue-attributed data, it returns more than Google Search or Meta for B2B. Benchmark per format and country, measure on revenue, and test LinkedIn's own claims before you scale them.
Are you paying a normal price for your audience (CPM)?
Is your CTR good for the format you're using?
Is your offer turning clicks into qualified leads (click-to-lead rate, CPL)?
Is LinkedIn driving pipeline compared with your other channels (ROAS)?
Answering that last question is a lot easier when LinkedIn, Google and Meta sit side by side instead of in separate dashboards.
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More 2026 ad benchmarks
Comparing channels? See all headline numbers side by side on our Ad Benchmarks 2026 hub, or jump to another guide in the series:
