The most common question security leaders ask after launching a phishing simulation program is: “Is our click rate good or bad?” Without industry benchmarks, that question is impossible to answer meaningfully. A 10 percent click rate might be excellent for one industry and alarming for another, depending on the threat landscape, regulatory environment, and workforce profile. This article presents 2026 benchmark data across twelve industries to help you contextualize your results, set realistic targets, and communicate performance to leadership.
What Are the Key Metrics Beyond Click Rate?
Click rate is the most widely reported metric, but it tells only part of the story. Report rate, the percentage of employees who proactively flag the simulated phishing email to the security team, is equally important because it measures active defense contribution. Credential submission rate, the percentage of clickers who go on to enter their credentials on a simulated harvesting page, measures the depth of compromise that a real attack would achieve. The ratio of report rate to click rate, sometimes called the resilience ratio, provides the most holistic view of organizational phishing resilience. A resilience ratio above 3:1 indicates a strong security culture where the majority of employees contribute to defense.
How Do Industries Compare on Phishing Resilience?
Industry benchmarks reveal significant variation driven by workforce demographics, regulatory pressure, and security program maturity. Financial services and banking organizations typically achieve the lowest click rates at 4 to 7 percent, driven by heavy regulatory pressure from SEC, FINRA, and PCI DSS, combined with well-funded security teams. Technology companies average 5 to 9 percent, benefiting from a technically literate workforce. Healthcare ranges from 10 to 18 percent, with wide variation between clinical and administrative staff. Education is among the highest at 15 to 25 percent, challenged by large, transient populations of students and faculty with diverse technical literacy. Government and public sector ranges from 8 to 15 percent, with strong improvement trends driven by CMMC and FedRAMP requirements. Manufacturing and industrial organizations average 12 to 20 percent, often challenged by a workforce with limited email-based work and infrequent security training exposure.
What Factors Drive Variation Within Industries?
Within any industry, the most significant factor driving click rate variation is simulation program maturity. Organizations in their first year of monthly simulations typically start with click rates 2 to 3 times higher than the industry benchmark and reach benchmark levels within 9 to 12 months of consistent monthly testing. The second factor is simulation realism: organizations using AI-generated, personalized simulations see click rates 15 to 25 percent higher than those using template-based campaigns because employees cannot rely on recognizing familiar patterns. This is actually a positive sign, as it means the simulations are testing genuine detection skills rather than template memorization. Simulation frequency is the third factor: organizations testing monthly show 40 to 60 percent lower click rates than those testing quarterly, consistent with research on spaced repetition and behavioral change.
How Should You Use Benchmarks for Goal Setting?
Benchmarks should inform realistic, incremental goals rather than arbitrary targets. If your current click rate is 18 percent and the industry benchmark is 8 percent, setting a 90-day goal of 5 percent is unrealistic and demoralizing. Instead, target a 30 to 40 percent reduction in the first 6 months (from 18 to 11 percent), then a further 20 to 30 percent reduction in the following 6 months (from 11 to 8 percent). Simultaneously set report rate targets: aim to reach a 20 percent report rate within 6 months and a 40 percent report rate within 12 months. When presenting to leadership, show your organization's metrics against industry benchmarks to provide context, and emphasize trend direction over absolute numbers. For a detailed framework on translating these metrics into financial terms, see our guide on calculating phishing risk in dollar terms.