The Most Crucial LinkedIn Advertising Benchmarks to Know for 2026

LinkedIn advertising benchmarks help you measure your campaign performance against industry standards. Without benchmarks, you can’t determine whether your metrics—like conversion rates, click-through rates, and cost per click—drive the revenue your business needs.

Compare your LinkedIn ad performance to industry averages to identify gaps, optimize your campaigns, and maximize your return on investment (ROI).

LinkedIn ad performance benchmarks for 2026

Seeing the benchmarks for key metrics helps you judge where your own metrics should be. For example, if your CTR is way below the industry standard, that tells you it’s not as high as it should be. That’s why we’re going to cover several LinkedIn benchmarks on this page, including:

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Engagement rate
• InMail response rate
• Lead gen form conversion rate
• Cost per click (CPC)

Here’s a breakdown of how those benchmarks stack up:

Get more detailed info below!

Click-through rate (CTR)

Sponsored content on LinkedIn has an average CTR of 0.44%–0.65%. That’s lower than the average for platforms like Facebook and TikTok, but since LinkedIn is smaller and more B2B-focused than those sites, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. So, if your LinkedIn CTR seems lower than on the other platforms you use, it’s okay.

That being said, keep in mind that the number given above is just a benchmark. With the right strategy, you can drive a LinkedIn CTR that’s much higher than that.

Your CTR will also be influenced by who you target, and by what type of ad content you use. When you advertise to senior decision-makers at your target companies, for example, the average CTR is 0.55%. As for content type, single-image ads still outperform other ad formats, including video (although the CTR of video ads varies immensely).

Biggest takeaway for advertisers: If you want an above-average LinkedIn ad CTR, shoot for a CTR of 0.65% or higher. To help you do that, prioritize single-image ads.

Engagement rate

Ad engagement rate measures how many likes, shares, and comments your sponsored content earn (compared to the total number of impressions). The average engagement rate for LinkedIn ads is 2%–5%. However, as with CTR, that benchmark varies depending on content type.

For multi-image posts, the average engagement rate is 6.6%, while for videos, it’s 5.6%. Native documents, meanwhile, have a 5.85% engagement rate. As you may notice, all three of those benchmarks are above the overall average.

That means including any of those content types in your ads will give you an engagement boost.

Biggest takeaway for advertisers: Be sure to incorporate images, videos, and native documents in your LinkedIn ads as often as possible to drive more engagement.

InMail response rate

One of the most effective forms of LinkedIn advertising is sponsored InMail messages. InMail ads are typically used for promoting events, initiating conversations with potential leads, or offering special products. Best of all, they have an average response rate of 10%–25%.

Of course, that benchmark varies across different industries, so some businesses will find more success with sponsored InMail than others. That’s why the range is so large. But as you can see, even the low end of the range is still higher than engagement rates on standard LinkedIn ads.

Biggest takeaway for advertisers: Consider using InMail ads to take advantage of the high response rate they offer. This is an especially good method if you plan on using account-based marketing (ABM).

Lead gen form conversion rate

One cool feature of LinkedIn advertising is lead gen forms, which you can include in your LinkedIn ads. These forms allow people to sign up for things like newsletters or free trials, becoming leads in the process.

Compared to standard ad landing pages, lead gen forms result in conversions 25% less often. However, they convert 2 times better than off-platform conversion methods. That means they’re a fairly middle-of-the-road approach — worth using, but not worth making your top priority.

Biggest takeaway for advertisers: Be sure to use lead gen forms in some of your LinkedIn ads, but don’t rely exclusively on them, since regular landing pages typically convert better.

Cost per click (CPC)

The final set of LinkedIn marketing benchmarks we’ll look at concern the cost of LinkedIn ads. Globally, the average LinkedIn ad CPC is $6–$7. In the U.S., specifically, it’s a bit higher at $8–$10. In terms of impressions, that shakes out to an average cost per mille (CPM) of $10–$20, depending on targeting and competition.

As you might imagine, though, your CPC will vary depending on your industry. Notably, SaaS and healthcare companies across the globe typically pay more than $7 per click, making their expenses higher than most. In the finance and education sectors, on the other hand, the average CPC is $3–$5, well below the overall average.

Biggest takeaway for advertisers: U.S.-based companies, as well as SaaS and healthcare companies, will typically have higher CPCs ($8+). Meanwhile, finance and education companies, or those based outside the U.S., may be able to spend less. Set your budget accordingly.

Propel your LinkedIn ads to the top with a data-driven advertising strategy

The LinkedIn advertising benchmarks on this page are great for showing you where your own ad campaigns should be. But they don’t actually help you get there. For that, you need to enact effective LinkedIn advertising practices that help you earn more clicks and engagement for less money.

If you aren’t sure which practices will help you do that — or how to implement them — it’s probably wise to partner with an expert agency like WebFX. With our LinkedIn advertising services, you’ll get access to a team of 750+ digital marketers with decades of experience.

Interested in working with us? Just give us a call at 888-601-5359 or contact us online today!