Ilic, P. (2026). LinkedIn Cost Per Lead by Industry 2026, in LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms Benchmarks 2026. Kiin Labs. kiin.co/research/linkedin-cost-per-lead-by-industry. Median cost per lead across advertiser accounts by targeted industry, USD, 8 Sep 2025 to 7 Sep 2026, content and demo offers separately.
The cheapest and the dearest content leads by industry
Content offers only (download, guide, report, webinar, template), cells with seven or more accounts. The spread from the cheapest industry to the dearest is 15×, wider than the content-to-demo gap inside any one industry.
| Cheapest content leads | Content CPL (accounts) |
|---|---|
| Higher Education | $20 (7) |
| Accounting | $51 (7) |
| Legal Services | $67 (9) |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | $68 (7) |
| Civil Engineering | $73 (7) |
| Investment Management | $80 (8) |
| Software Development | $81 (17) |
| Investment Banking | $81 (7) |
| Business Consulting and Services | $82 (12) |
| IT Services and IT Consulting | $83 (22) |
| Insurance | $83 (15) |
| Financial Services | $85 (33) |
| Dearest content leads | Content CPL (accounts) |
|---|---|
| Entertainment Providers | $309 (7) |
| Wholesale | $304 (12) |
| Retail | $304 (18) |
| Retail Luxury Goods and Jewelry | $283 (7) |
| Computers and Electronics Manufacturing | $262 (9) |
| Manufacturing | $262 (23) |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $250 (9) |
| Appliances, Electrical, and Electronics Manufacturing | $248 (8) |
| Hospitality | $240 (7) |
| Media and Telecommunications | $238 (10) |
| Industrial Machinery Manufacturing | $234 (11) |
| Administrative and Support Services | $212 (7) |
The cheap end is education, accounting, legal, finance and software: audiences that download things. The dear end is retail, wholesale, entertainment, hospitality and the manufacturing categories, where the buyer is diffuse and the content offer is rarely the reason they are on LinkedIn. Neither end says what your lead will cost: the same industry runs $81 for a software content lead and $459 for a software demo lead.
Demo request cost per lead by industry
Demo or sales-call forms (demo, call, quote, trial, audit). Only 8 industries reach seven accounts on demo; every other demo cell is withheld. The content cell for the same industry sits alongside so the offer gap is visible row by row.
| Every demo cell that reaches seven accounts | Demo CPL (accounts) | Content CPL, same industry |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | $144 (7) | $262 (23) |
| Financial Services | $224 (13) | $85 (33) |
| Construction | $268 (9) | $151 (16) |
| Technology, Information and Internet | $386 (13) | $102 (21) |
| IT System Custom Software Development | $404 (8) | withheld |
| Software Development | $459 (7) | $81 (17) |
| Retail | $479 (10) | $304 (18) |
| Hospitals and Health Care | $722 (9) | $90 (20) |
Manufacturing is the one row where a demo lead is cheaper than a content lead ($144 vs $262), on seven accounts, so directional. Everywhere else the demo lead is 1.6 to 8 times the content lead in the same industry. If the demo cell for your industry is withheld, use the panel-wide demo median, $343, and the format rules in chapter 03: message ads and conversation ads, never a single image in the feed.
The full table: 107 industries, alphabetical
Median cost per lead across advertiser accounts, USD; accounts in brackets. "All forms" blends the two offer types and is shown only for completeness — quote the content or demo cell, not the blend. Cells under seven accounts are withheld.
| Industry targeted | Accounts | Campaigns | All forms | Content offer | Demo request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 13 | 37 | $244 (8) | withheld | withheld |
| Accounting | 17 | 64 | $86 (10) | $51 (7) | withheld |
| Administrative and Support Services | 12 | 33 | $164 (8) | $212 (7) | withheld |
| Advertising Services | 24 | 145 | $175 (16) | $103 (9) | withheld |
| Agriculture, Construction, Mining Machinery Manufacturing | 11 | 48 | $100 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Airlines and Aviation | 15 | 49 | $133 (9) | $89 (8) | withheld |
| Apparel Manufacturing | 10 | 57 | $253 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Appliances, Electrical, and Electronics Manufacturing | 31 | 65 | $253 (17) | $248 (8) | withheld |
| Architecture and Planning | 16 | 51 | $114 (10) | $123 (7) | withheld |
| Automation Machinery Manufacturing | 17 | 48 | $76 (10) | withheld | withheld |
| Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing | 16 | 64 | $123 (12) | $148 (8) | withheld |
| Banking | 35 | 159 | $122 (23) | $136 (15) | withheld |
| Biotechnology Research | 17 | 38 | $106 (9) | $106 (7) | withheld |
| Broadcast Media Production and Distribution | 10 | 24 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Building Construction | 10 | 15 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Business Consulting and Services | 33 | 186 | $148 (23) | $82 (12) | withheld |
| Chemical Manufacturing | 26 | 110 | $322 (18) | $250 (9) | withheld |
| Civil Engineering | 20 | 70 | $79 (11) | $73 (7) | withheld |
| Climate Technology Product Manufacturing | 12 | 18 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Computer and Network Security | 16 | 73 | $123 (12) | withheld | withheld |
| Computers and Electronics Manufacturing | 21 | 108 | $350 (11) | $262 (9) | withheld |
| Construction | 47 | 164 | $137 (33) | $151 (16) | $268 (9) |
| Data Infrastructure and Analytics | 13 | 42 | $106 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Data Security Software Products | 16 | 44 | $313 (10) | withheld | withheld |
| Defense and Space Manufacturing | 20 | 86 | $178 (15) | $178 (9) | withheld |
| E-Learning Providers | 17 | 67 | $92 (13) | withheld | withheld |
| Education | 15 | 37 | $227 (10) | withheld | withheld |
| Embedded Software Products | 11 | 33 | $257 (9) | withheld | withheld |
| Energy Technology | 35 | 92 | $349 (21) | $126 (11) | withheld |
| Engineering Services | 24 | 72 | $128 (18) | $128 (12) | withheld |
| Entertainment Providers | 10 | 73 | $309 (7) | $309 (7) | withheld |
| Fabricated Metal Products | 11 | 27 | $398 (8) | withheld | withheld |
| Facilities Services | 10 | 50 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Financial Services | 90 | 312 | $136 (57) | $85 (33) | $224 (13) |
| Food and Beverage Manufacturing | 32 | 102 | $218 (18) | $193 (9) | withheld |
| Food and Beverage Retail | 11 | 15 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Food and Beverage Services | 19 | 90 | $257 (14) | withheld | withheld |
| Furniture and Home Furnishings Manufacturing | 14 | 70 | $227 (8) | withheld | withheld |
| Government Administration | 25 | 97 | $131 (19) | $136 (10) | withheld |
| Health and Human Services | 13 | 52 | $266 (8) | withheld | withheld |
| Higher Education | 20 | 69 | $57 (14) | $20 (7) | withheld |
| Holding Companies | 16 | 36 | $277 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Hospitality | 24 | 62 | $372 (12) | $240 (7) | withheld |
| Hospitals | 23 | 61 | $279 (13) | $86 (8) | withheld |
| Hospitals and Health Care | 62 | 191 | $326 (39) | $90 (20) | $722 (9) |
| IT Services and IT Consulting | 48 | 205 | $100 (33) | $83 (22) | withheld |
| IT System Custom Software Development | 20 | 57 | $303 (12) | withheld | $404 (8) |
| IT System Data Services | 11 | 29 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| IT System Design Services | 11 | 23 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| IT System Operations and Maintenance | 12 | 22 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| IT System Training and Support | 10 | 11 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Industrial Machinery Manufacturing | 25 | 89 | $202 (19) | $234 (11) | withheld |
| Information Services | 10 | 38 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Insurance | 35 | 168 | $102 (25) | $83 (15) | withheld |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 10 | 26 | $66 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Investment Banking | 14 | 23 | $94 (9) | $81 (7) | withheld |
| Investment Management | 15 | 41 | $75 (11) | $80 (8) | withheld |
| Law Practice | 11 | 24 | $141 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Legal Services | 21 | 83 | $121 (14) | $67 (9) | withheld |
| Machinery Manufacturing | 32 | 105 | $198 (24) | $102 (15) | withheld |
| Manufacturing | 68 | 167 | $273 (40) | $262 (23) | $144 (7) |
| Maritime Transportation | 10 | 26 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Marketing Services | 21 | 74 | $143 (12) | withheld | withheld |
| Media and Telecommunications | 20 | 89 | $283 (11) | $238 (10) | withheld |
| Medical Equipment Manufacturing | 34 | 125 | $203 (20) | $147 (10) | withheld |
| Medical Practices | 15 | 79 | $224 (14) | $86 (8) | withheld |
| Mental Health Care | 13 | 28 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Mining | 13 | 61 | $121 (10) | $102 (7) | withheld |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 29 | 138 | $140 (20) | $131 (12) | withheld |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 13 | 70 | $113 (10) | $68 (7) | withheld |
| Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities | 13 | 42 | $278 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Oil and Coal Product Manufacturing | 11 | 18 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Oil and Gas | 24 | 102 | $102 (17) | $99 (8) | withheld |
| Oil, Gas, and Mining | 29 | 81 | $136 (18) | $111 (10) | withheld |
| Online and Mail Order Retail | 11 | 52 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Personal Care Product Manufacturing | 10 | 73 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Pharmaceutical Manufacturing | 37 | 139 | $203 (23) | $192 (12) | withheld |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 11 | 17 | $161 (8) | withheld | withheld |
| Professional Services | 21 | 69 | $103 (13) | $103 (7) | withheld |
| Professional Training and Coaching | 16 | 83 | $79 (14) | $114 (8) | withheld |
| Public Health | 11 | 21 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Real Estate | 28 | 126 | $228 (22) | $148 (8) | withheld |
| Real Estate and Equipment Rental Services | 13 | 42 | $212 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Renewable Energy Equipment Manufacturing | 14 | 45 | $152 (11) | withheld | withheld |
| Renewable Energy Power Generation | 16 | 50 | $116 (10) | withheld | withheld |
| Research Services | 21 | 119 | $170 (14) | $193 (9) | withheld |
| Retail | 63 | 219 | $304 (34) | $304 (18) | $479 (10) |
| Retail Apparel and Fashion | 21 | 73 | $327 (10) | withheld | withheld |
| Retail Groceries | 17 | 106 | $317 (10) | withheld | withheld |
| Retail Health and Personal Care Products | 13 | 19 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Retail Luxury Goods and Jewelry | 20 | 77 | $278 (10) | $283 (7) | withheld |
| Retail Office Equipment | 10 | 28 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Retail Pharmacies | 11 | 27 | $124 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Services for Renewable Energy | 18 | 39 | $121 (12) | $95 (10) | withheld |
| Software Development | 45 | 198 | $90 (29) | $81 (17) | $459 (7) |
| Sporting Goods Manufacturing | 10 | 52 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Staffing and Recruiting | 11 | 65 | $119 (8) | withheld | withheld |
| Technology, Information and Internet | 60 | 224 | $107 (42) | $102 (21) | $386 (13) |
| Technology, Information and Media | 41 | 105 | $217 (23) | $212 (13) | withheld |
| Telecommunications | 28 | 115 | $172 (20) | $142 (15) | withheld |
| Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain and Storage | 48 | 103 | $126 (30) | $119 (20) | withheld |
| Truck Transportation | 10 | 20 | $44 (7) | withheld | withheld |
| Utilities | 39 | 165 | $227 (26) | $193 (17) | withheld |
| Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals | 10 | 59 | withheld | withheld | withheld |
| Wellness and Fitness Services | 13 | 103 | $86 (10) | withheld | withheld |
| Wholesale | 29 | 87 | $326 (15) | $304 (12) | withheld |
| Wholesale Building Materials | 10 | 53 | $146 (8) | withheld | withheld |
Method and limits
Source: Kiin Intelligence, LinkedIn Marketing API, every lead-generation-objective campaign with delivery across 489 connected advertiser accounts, 8 Sep 2025 to 7 Sep 2026, 14 currencies converted to USD at September 2026 rates. A campaign's industry is the industry facet in its targeting; campaigns targeting several industries count toward each. Cost per lead is spend divided by LinkedIn lead gen form submissions per account; the table shows the median across accounts targeting the industry, for accounts with five or more leads. Lead type is classified from the form's own text. No cell with fewer than seven accounts is shown, and no advertiser, campaign or form is identifiable. What the table cannot say: whether targeting the industry causes the cost (the paired tests in the report cover offer, format, audience type, fields and copy; industry cannot be paired because too few accounts run the same offer in two industries), and whether the leads convert to pipeline.
The full study, with cost per lead by offer type, function, seniority, company size, region, spend band, audience type and format, the form conversion rate benchmarks and the thirteen rules Kiin runs: LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms Benchmarks 2026. Every format's benchmarks on one page: LinkedIn Ads benchmarks 2026.
Want your industry row with your numbers in it? Send read access to your LinkedIn Ads account and we'll show you where it sits, content and demo, against the panel. Free, read-only, one page.