Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Consulting

Introduction

Across all countries, Facebook Ads cost-per-lead (CPL) for the Consulting industry ran lean for most of the year and then surged dramatically at the end. Consulting’s CPL averaged $30.67 from November 2024 to November 2025, tracking well below the global all‑industry benchmark average of $39.83, before a sharp November 2025 spike flipped the script. The year’s rhythm shows steady, affordable lead costs through midyear, a brief midsummer lift, an October trough, and a striking November reversal that diverged from the broader market.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Consulting across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Consulting CPL opened at $24.78 in November 2024 and closed at $60.30 in November 2025—up 143% from start to finish. The period’s low was $23.93 in October 2025, while the high landed at $60.30 in November. The average sat at $30.67, with notable waypoints including a mild December elevation ($30.58), a steady Q1 near $25–$28, a midsummer peak in July ($39.61), and a reset into October before the year’s big swing.

Month-to-month movement averaged 6.66 points, signaling above‑average choppiness. However, that volatility was concentrated in one outlier: the +36.37 jump from October to November 2025. Excluding that surge, Consulting’s average monthly change was a calmer 3.95 points, slightly steadier than the global benchmark’s 4.23 (and the benchmark itself was 3.12 excluding its own November drop).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, Consulting showed a restrained Q1, with January–February hovering around $25 and a gentle lift into March ($27.99). Q2 built incrementally ($26.87 → $28.62), suggesting a controlled climb rather than a spike. Q3 introduced a short-lived inflation in July ($39.61) before easing in August–September ($30.70 → $27.47). Q4 was the most dramatic: October marked the year’s low ($23.93), followed by the year’s high in November ($60.30).

By contrast, the global benchmark crested later: after a steady climb into late summer, the all‑industry CPL peaked in September 2025 at $47.62, then cooled through October ($45.08) and fell sharply in November ($28.58). The divergence is clear—Consulting’s CPL spiked when the broader market fell.

Consulting vs. the global benchmark

Across 13 months, Consulting CPL stayed below the global benchmark in 12 of them, averaging 23% lower than the market ($30.67 vs. $39.83). The monthly discount ranged from a narrow gap in July (about 6% below market) to a wide October spread (roughly 47% below). September also showed a substantial gap (about 42% below global). The outlier came in November 2025, when Consulting CPL ran more than double the global benchmark (+111%), the only month above market.

Trendwise, the global all‑industry CPL declined from $41.51 in November 2024 to $28.58 in November 2025 (−31%), while Consulting rose sharply over the same span (+143%). Consulting’s range ($23.93–$60.30) was wider than the global spread ($28.58–$47.62), reflecting a generally economical year punctuated by a late-year shock.

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per lead show Consulting across all countries running consistently below global ad costs for most of the year, then breaking pattern with a sharp November escalation. Understanding CPL trends for the Consulting industry globally helps teams benchmark country-specific ad costs against broader Facebook Ads benchmarks and compare Consulting’s industry ad performance to global patterns.