Amazon PPC Benchmarks by Category (2026): ACoS, CPC, CTR and Conversion Rate
Median Amazon ACoS, CPC, CTR and conversion rate for 10 product categories in 2026, in one table. Cross-category averages plus where each category runs high or low.
TL;DR: Across categories in 2026 the typical Amazon ad account runs about 32% ACoS, $1.18 CPC, 0.59% CTR and an 11.5% conversion rate. But the spread is wide: median ACoS runs from 19% in Books to 42% in Clothing, and CPC from $0.38 to $1.45. Always compare within your own category, not against the blended average.
This page collects the 2026 Amazon Sponsored Products benchmarks for the four metrics most sellers actually manage to, broken out by product category, in one citable table.
The headline numbers
Across a broad cross-section of Sponsored Products accounts in 2026, the cross-category averages are:
| Metric | Cross-category average (2026) |
|---|---|
| ACoS | 32.48% |
| CPC | $1.18 |
| CTR | 0.59% |
| Conversion rate | 11.55% |
These cross-category figures are compiled from 2026 industry data. They are a useful baseline but they hide most of the story, because the per-category spread is large.
Benchmarks by category
The table below shows the median for each metric in each of ten major Amazon categories, as of 2026. Lower is better for ACoS and CPC; higher is better for CTR and conversion rate.
| Category | Median ACoS | Median CPC | Median CTR | Median conversion rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books | 19% | $0.38 | 0.22% | 18.0% |
| Food & Grocery | 21% | $0.58 | 0.39% | 16.5% |
| Beauty & Personal Care | 24% | $1.18 | 0.47% | 15.2% |
| Pet Supplies | 26% | $0.91 | 0.43% | 14.0% |
| Health & Household | 27% | $1.05 | 0.41% | 13.8% |
| Toys & Games | 28% | $0.78 | 0.35% | 12.1% |
| Electronics | 29% | $1.45 | 0.28% | 9.5% |
| Home & Garden | 31% | $0.88 | 0.32% | 11.4% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 33% | $0.82 | 0.30% | 10.3% |
| Clothing & Apparel | 42% | $0.72 | 0.38% | 8.6% |
Source: compiled from 2026 industry benchmark data and cross-checked against Autron's own managed accounts. Figures are category-level medians, not individual-seller values.
How to read this
A few patterns hold across the table:
- ACoS spans 19% to 42%. Books and Food & Grocery run lowest; Clothing & Apparel runs highest, mostly because apparel return rates erode net ad-driven sales. Median ACoS across the ten categories sits around 27.5%, below the 32% blended average, because a few high-ACoS categories pull the mean up.
- CPC spans $0.38 to $1.45. Electronics is the most expensive click, reflecting high-ticket competition; Books is the cheapest. CPC is largely set by how many sellers bid in your category, not by anything you do to a single campaign.
- CTR is low everywhere. Even the strongest category (Beauty at 0.47%) sits under half a percent, which is normal for Amazon search where many ads share a crowded page. CTR below roughly 0.2% to 0.3% usually points to main-image or title relevance.
- Conversion rate is high versus general ecommerce. Amazon shoppers arrive with intent, so an 8% to 18% conversion rate is normal where general ecommerce averages closer to 1% to 2%. Below 8% usually points to listing quality rather than bidding.
The practical takeaway: pick your category's row, compare your own numbers to it, and ignore the blended average. A 30% ACoS is excellent in Clothing and mediocre in Books.
Use the numbers
To see where your own account lands against the median for your category, the Amazon PPC benchmark comparison tool does the placement for you. For per-metric deep dives, see the ACoS benchmarks, CPC benchmarks, CTR benchmarks and conversion-rate benchmarks by category. For the full narrative write-up and what to do if you are behind, read the 2026 Amazon advertising benchmarks report.