Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Hardware and Networking advertisers in the United States navigated a choppy CPC year with sharp swings and a pronounced Q4 whipsaw, ultimately running above the global benchmark most months. The category averaged higher costs than the market, hit an unusually soft October, and then surged to the yearly high in November before easing into December. This pattern suggests a market that’s more momentum-driven than the broader benchmark, with bigger peaks and deeper troughs.
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 Hardware and Networking in the United States compared to the global benchmark.
Across 2025, the United States Hardware and Networking monthly median CPC averaged $1.27, beginning at $1.30 in January and ending at $1.16 in December (−11% from start to finish). The annual low arrived in October at $0.80, while November spiked to the high at $1.68—more than double October’s level. Notable lifts appeared in March ($1.47, up sharply from February), May ($1.61), and August ($1.47). Pullbacks punctuated April ($1.27), June ($1.15), September ($1.13), and the October trough.
Volatility was the defining feature: the average month-to-month move was $0.37, with the largest swing occurring from October to November (+$0.88). By comparison, the global series moved an average of just $0.06 month to month, highlighting how much more variable this category ran in the United States.
The rhythm followed a two-peak, two-trough structure:
This cadence broadly aligns with the market’s typical late-year tightening, though the October dip stands out as an atypically low pre-holiday trough before the November surge.
Relative to Facebook Ads benchmarks globally, the United States Hardware and Networking CPC ran higher on average: $1.27 vs. the $1.13 global median (+12%). It outpaced the global CPC in 10 of 12 months. The widest premium appeared in May (+40% vs. market), with similarly elevated gaps in August and November (both near +28% to +31%). The closest points came in June and September (about +4%). Only two months trailed the benchmark—February (−5%) and especially October (−29%), the narrowest and widest negative gaps, respectively.
Trend-wise, the global baseline drifted slightly lower from January ($1.12) to December ($1.06, −6%), with a predictable November high ($1.32). The United States Hardware and Networking series rose more sharply into its peaks and fell more steeply into troughs, confirming it as the more volatile line—roughly six times the average monthly swing of the global benchmark.
In sum, CPC trends for Hardware and Networking in the United States were higher and far more volatile than the global benchmark, with standout spikes in May, August, and November and a singularly soft October. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for Hardware and Networking in the United States helps contextualize country-specific ad costs against global patterns for industry ad performance.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Hardware and Networking industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting United States, advertisers often face higher costs due to high competition and purchasing power. 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.
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Late November (Thanksgiving & Black Friday weekend), December (Christmas), Back-to-school (July–September), Summer travel season (Memorial Day onwards)
CPM and CPC might rise around major holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, especially in travel and entertainment. Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend triggers massive spikes in retail ad competition. December ad demand typically peaks—retail campaigns require significantly higher budgets. Back-to-school promotions drive increased competition. Juneteenth may see regional engagement rise.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
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