April 16, 2025

Customer Acquisition Cost by Industry (B2B, B2C, SEO for 2025)

Understanding average customer acquisition cost by industry can be a great way to comprehend the performance of markets. However, before we dig into our data and findings, it’s important to note that CAC (customer acquisition cost) can vary widely. It can vary based on the type of product you have, the marketing channels you’re using, your average spend, the brand, and so many other variables.

As a result, CAC (customer acquisition cost) averages end up being merely that, averages. If you’re looking at the performance of your business, it may not be directly correlated to you looking here and saying “we’re under/over performing.” Take the data below as a guide.

Key Takeaways

  • What is the average CAC across B2B industries in 2025? CAC varies significantly by industry. In B2B, it ranges from as low as $141 (for some Marketing Agencies) to as high as $1,450 (for Financial Services/Fintech), with most industries falling between $600–$900.
  • How does CAC relate to customer lifetime value (LTV)? The standard benchmark across all B2B sectors is an LTV:CAC ratio of 3:1. This means you should aim to generate three times the value of your CAC from each customer to ensure profitability.
  • What’s the SEO-specific CAC and time to ROI for B2B? SEO-based CACs are higher upfront but yield stronger long-term ROI. Most B2B industries have SEO CACs between $500–$1,500, with ROI typically achieved in 6–9 months, depending on competition and maturity.

B2B Industries Average CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)

Average CAC figures have been generated by reviewing more than 30+ sources of both company-specific and marketing-specific companies that have published their results from various marketing efforts. Then, we combined all data into a blended total by industry.

On average, all recommended LTV to CAC ratios should be 3:1. Meaning, for every dollar that you spend to acquire a customer, they should return you three dollars in total. This is usually calculated by determining your average lifetime-value of the customer by your marketing channel.

Industry Average CAC (USD) Average LTV Required (USD) Recommended LTV:CAC Ratio
SaaS and Technology Providers $702 $2,100 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Financial Services and Fintech $1,450 $4,350 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Legal Services and Law Firms $915 $2,745 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Professional Services (Consulting, etc.) $656 $1,970 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Manufacturing and Industrial Supply $723 $2,170 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Logistics and Transportation $584 $1,750 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Education and eLearning (B2B Training) $806 $2,420 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Recruiting and Staffing Agencies $410 $1,230 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Healthcare (B2B Medical Software/Equip.) $921 $2,760 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Marketing and Advertising Agencies $141 $420 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1

Related: SaaS Marketing Statistics

B2C Industries Average CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)

Here are B2C industries average customer acquisition costs, in comparison to B2B:

Industry Average CAC (USD) Average LTV Required (USD) Recommended LTV:CAC Ratio
E-commerce and Retail $70 $210 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Healthcare and Medical Services $500 $1,500 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Real Estate $2,830 $8,490 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Travel and Hospitality $158 $474 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Automotive Sales and Services $903 $2,709 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Home Services (Plumbing, HVAC, etc.) $300 $900 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Beauty and Wellness (Spas, Clinics) $239 $717 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Restaurants and Food Delivery $107 $321 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Fitness and Gyms $118 $354 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Education and eLearning (B2C) $806 $2,418 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Media and Publishing <$100 (low CAC via organic reach) $300 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Events and Entertainment $260 $780 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1
Nonprofits and Charitable Orgs $75 per donor (typical) $225 (≈3 × CAC) ≥3:1

Related: SEO ROI Statistics

SEO (Organic) Customer Acquisition Cost by B2B Industry

In general, CAC (customer acquisition cost) for organic is usually based on time and resources vs. any paid advertising spend. In short, we looked at the average fees associated with common in-house and agency hiring price points. And blended that into an estimated CAC cost (meaning, per customer divided by the average fee over the span of 12-months):

Industry SEO-Specific CAC (USD) Avg. Time to ROI (Months)
SaaS and Technology Providers $1,500 6
Financial Services and Fintech $800 (midpoint) 9
Legal Services and Law Firms $740 9
Professional Services (Accounting, Consulting, Coaching) $580 6
Manufacturing and Industrial Supply $660 6
Logistics and Transportation $580 6
Education and eLearning (Corporate Training) $900 9
Recruiting and Staffing Agencies $410 6
Healthcare (B2B Medical Equipment, Software) $500 9
Marketing and Advertising Agencies $150 9

B2C Industries

Similarly, we looked at B2C industries to get an idea of how well these are performing in terms of organic customer acquisition costs (mostly looking at SEO) compared to B2B:

Industry SEO-Specific CAC (USD) Avg. Time to ROI (Months)
E-commerce and Retail $40 6
Healthcare and Medical Services (Clinics) $365 6
Real Estate $1,800 12
Travel and Hospitality $70 6
Automotive Sales and Services $457 6
Home Services (Plumbing, HVAC, Roofing, etc.) $100 6
Beauty and Wellness (Spas, Dermatology, Cosmetic) $300 6
Restaurants and Food Delivery $55 6
Fitness and Gyms $300 6
Education and eLearning (Online Courses, Test Prep) $360 9
Media and Publishing $200 6
Events and Entertainment $200 6
Nonprofits and Charitable Organizations $150 9

Written by David A. ‍

Updated on:

April 16, 2025

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April 16, 2025

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