Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Facebook Ads CPC for Hardware and Networking in the United States ran hotter than the global benchmark and moved with far sharper swings. Across the period, the category averaged $1.28 CPC in the United States versus a $1.13 global average—about 13% higher—yet the path was choppy: a deep dip in February, a late‑spring crest in May, a dramatic October trough, and a November spike before cooling into December. From the starting point in December 2024 ($1.60) to the close of December 2025 ($0.91), CPCs fell 43%, outpacing the global decline of 18%.
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.
The period opened elevated at $1.60 in December 2024, softened to $1.30 in January, and reached an early low in February at $1.08 before rebounding to $1.47 in March. Spring steadied near $1.27 in April and crested at $1.61 in May—the first major peak. Summer cooled: $1.15 in June and $1.14 in July, then momentum lifted again to $1.48 in August before easing to $1.13 in September.
The sharpest movements landed in Q4. October marked the low for the year at $0.81, followed by the high in November at $1.68—a month‑over‑month jump of $0.88 (+109%). December then reset to $0.91. Over the full window, CPCs averaged $1.28, ranging from $0.81 to $1.68—a spread of $0.88. Volatility was pronounced: average absolute month‑to‑month change measured $0.38, indicating brisk swings around the median.
Seasonality showed a distinctive rhythm. Early Q1 softened into February before a March rebound. Q2 held a steady baseline with a May crest, a pattern often seen as acquisition heats up ahead of summer. Q3 brought a mid‑summer lull (June–July) and an August lift, followed by a September retracement. Q4 was the most dramatic: an atypically soft October, a pronounced November surge, and a December pullback. The cadence mirrors broader Facebook Ads benchmarks—where November often runs high and December eases—but the amplitude in the United States Hardware and Networking segment was notably stronger.
Relative to the global benchmark, the United States Hardware and Networking CPCs were higher and more volatile. The category sat above the global mark in 10 of 13 months. The gap was narrowest in February (5% below global) and during mid‑year steadiness (+6% in June, July, and September). The widest divergences appeared in May (+41% above global), August (+34%), and November (+29%), while October was a notable inversion at 27% below global.
Trend-wise, the global series moved gradually—average month‑to‑month change of $0.07—versus $0.38 in the United States Hardware and Networking set, making the U.S. trend roughly 5.5× more volatile. Over the period, global CPCs eased from $1.28 (Dec ’24) to $1.05 (Dec ’25, the global low), while the U.S. category fell harder, from $1.60 to $0.91.
Taken together, these Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks show Hardware and Networking in the United States running above global costs, with stronger peaks and deeper troughs—especially around late spring and Q4. Understanding CPC trends and country‑specific ad costs for this industry helps marketers contextualize performance against global patterns and evaluate industry ad performance in the United States.
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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