Formula
Example
Let’s say we have 100.000 impressions and the total amount spend on them is $5000. The equation will be:
Cost per impression: $5,000 ÷ 100,000 = $0.05
Impressions per dollar: 100,000 ÷ 5,000 = 20
Result: CPM = $50
So, $50 per 1000 impressions
Category = “High” (makes sense since $50 CPM is high for most ad categories)
| Niche / Industry | Typical CPM Range | Low (≈ bottom 25%) | Medium (≈ mid 50%) | High (≈ top 25%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance & Fintech | $8–$25 | <$6 | $6–$15 | >$15 | Credit, banking, investing perform best; seasonality around tax/Q4. |
| B2B / Enterprise / Legal | $8–$20 | <$6 | $6–$12 | >$12 | High-intent audiences, strong on desktop and long-form. |
| Technology & Software | $6–$18 | <$4 | $4–$10 | >$10 | Developer & SaaS content skews higher; video pushes CPM up. |
| Real Estate | $5–$14 | <$4 | $4–$9 | >$9 | Mortgage & relocation terms lift CPMs. |
| Health & Medical | $5–$15 | <$4 | $4–$9 | >$9 | Strict policy categories can limit demand on some topics. |
| Home Improvement / DIY | $4–$12 | <$3 | $3–$8 | >$8 | Q2–Q3 seasonal lift; strong retail advertiser mix. |
| Travel & Hospitality | $4–$12 | <$3 | $3–$8 | >$8 | Peaks around holidays/summer; weaker in off-season. |
| Automotive | $4–$11 | <$3 | $3–$7 | >$7 | Higher for new car research and local dealer markets. |
| Education / e-Learning | $3–$9 | <$2.50 | $2.50–$6 | >$6 | Back-to-school cycles matter; credentialed content helps. |
| Lifestyle / Food / Parenting | $3–$8 | <$2.50 | $2.50–$5 | >$5 | Broad audiences; rely on Q4 retail to spike CPMs. |
| Gaming & Entertainment | $2–$7 | <$2 | $2–$4.50 | >$4.50 | Young demos; higher viewability/video improves results. |
| How to use this: These are ballpark display CPMs for US traffic. Actuals vary by GEO mix, ad type (video > display), viewability, device, seasonality, and demand partners. For publisher earnings, compare your RPM/EPMV (revenue per 1,000 sessions) rather than advertiser CPM. | |||||
Sources & notes: Benchmarks synthesized from recent industry studies and reports (e.g., SEMrush CPM study showing display vs video gaps; Google/Display industry CPM roundups; platform CPM timelines). See: SEMrush study on CPM by ad type (video higher than desktop display), Enhencer’s 2024 Google Ads CPM by industry overview, Statista social platform CPM timeline, and recent benchmark roundups.