See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all countries, Cost per Lead (CPL) for the HR & Staffing industry ran markedly below the global, all-industry benchmark, but with sharper swings. The year opened at a rock-bottom level, lifted into intermittent mid-year bumps, then spiked in November before easing into December. In contrast, the global baseline rose steadily through Q3 and cooled in December. The result: consistently lower country-agnostic CPLs for HR & Staffing, but a choppier ride.
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 HR & Staffing across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Starting from January 2025 at $5.49, HR & Staffing CPL ended December at $9.80—up 78% from the start but still far below the market. The annual average was $13.93, with a median of $7.93. The low came in July at $3.44; the high arrived in November at $45.31. That November surge stood out against the otherwise low-cost profile seen in most months.
Key monthly moves:
Volatility averaged about $13 per month in absolute moves—over three times the global benchmark’s ~$3.94 average monthly change—highlighting a much choppier pattern for HR & Staffing across all countries.
The pattern favored low CPLs through mid-year, with Q2 and Q3 forming the softest span:
Meanwhile, the global baseline followed a more conventional rhythm: Q1 at $35.94, Q2 at $38.85, and Q3 at $43.74—rising into late Q3/early Q4 before easing in December, when CPL fell to $32.53.
HR & Staffing CPLs across all countries remained below the global, all-industry benchmark in every month of 2025—on average 65% lower ($13.93 vs. $40.19). The gap tightened dramatically in November, when HR & Staffing was just 1% below the global level ($45.31 vs. $45.77). At its widest, the industry trailed by roughly 91% in July ($3.44 vs. $40.27).
Trend-wise, the global benchmark was steadier and gently upward across most of the year (+16% from March to October) before a December cooldown (−33% m/m). HR & Staffing, by contrast, was more erratic: troughing mid-year, surging in November, then normalizing in December. From January to December, HR & Staffing rose 78%, while the global benchmark slipped 7%.
Taken together, these Facebook Ads benchmarks show that Cost per Lead in the HR & Staffing industry across all countries stays well below the global average but moves with far greater volatility—characterized by a mid-year lull and a singular November spike. Understanding CPL trends for HR & Staffing across all countries helps benchmark country-agnostic ad costs and compare performance to global patterns.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the HR & Staffing industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.
Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.
Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.
Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.
If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.
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