LinkedIn Premium is a paid membership that adds features to your free LinkedIn account

LinkedIn Premium is a subscription you pay monthly or annually to unlock features that the free version does not have. The main additions are the ability to see who viewed your profile, send messages to people outside your network, and access LinkedIn's learning library. You keep your free account — Premium just layers on top of it.

LinkedIn offers several Premium tiers, each with different features and price points. The exact cost varies by country and whether you pay monthly or yearly. LinkedIn frequently runs promotions, especially for new subscribers, so the first month or two may cost less than the standard rate.

Key Takeaways

  • LinkedIn Premium adds profile visibility data, unlimited messaging, and course access to your free account, but does not change how employers or recruiters find you.
  • There are four Premium tiers — Career, Business, Sales, and Recruiter — each designed for different goals, and the price you see depends on your country and current promotions.
  • You can cancel anytime, and LinkedIn will refund unused time if you cancel within 14 days of purchase.
  • The free version of LinkedIn is sufficient for most job seekers; Premium is most useful if you actively network, apply to many jobs, or sell to other businesses.

The four LinkedIn Premium tiers and what each one costs

LinkedIn Premium Career is the entry-level option and is aimed at people looking for work or building their professional network. It shows you who viewed your profile in the last 90 days, lets you send direct messages to people you are not connected with, and gives you access to LinkedIn Learning courses. The monthly price in the United States is typically $39.99, though LinkedIn often discounts the first month to $9.99 or less for new members.

LinkedIn Premium Business is the next step up and adds features for people who want deeper insights into their network and the platform. It includes everything in Career plus the ability to see more profile viewers, access to LinkedIn's salary data tool, and priority customer support. The monthly cost is usually around $79.99 in the United States.

LinkedIn Premium Sales and LinkedIn Premium Recruiter are specialized tiers. Sales is built for people who sell to other businesses and includes lead recommendations and account insights. Recruiter is for hiring managers and recruiters and includes advanced search filters and the ability to post jobs. Both cost significantly more than Career or Business — Recruiter in particular is often priced for teams rather than individuals.

Prices vary by country and currency. LinkedIn also runs frequent promotions, especially for first-time subscribers, so the rate you see when you first visit the Premium page may be lower than the standard monthly cost. Annual plans typically cost less per month than paying month-to-month.

What LinkedIn Premium actually adds to your account

The most commonly used Premium feature is the ability to see who viewed your profile. With the free version, you see a generic "Someone viewed your profile" notification. With Premium Career or higher, you see the person's name, title, and company for views in the last 90 days. This is useful if you want to know whether a recruiter or hiring manager has looked at your profile.

Premium also removes the limit on direct messages to people outside your network. On the free version, you can send a limited number of messages to people you are not connected with; Premium Career removes that limit. This is useful if you want to reach out to people for informational interviews or to follow up on job applications without first requesting a connection.

All Premium tiers include access to LinkedIn Learning, which is a library of video courses on business, technology, and professional skills. The courses are produced by LinkedIn and third-party instructors. You can watch them on the LinkedIn platform or download them to watch offline. The free version of LinkedIn does not include Learning access.

Premium Business and higher tiers add salary data, which shows the typical salary range for a job title in your area based on LinkedIn's user data. This is useful when negotiating or deciding whether to apply for a role. Premium Business also includes priority customer support, meaning your questions to LinkedIn's support team are answered faster.

Whether Premium helps you get hired or find jobs faster

Premium does not change how recruiters or hiring managers search for candidates. Your free profile is visible to them in the same way whether you have Premium or not. Premium does not boost your profile in search results, and it does not notify employers that you are looking for work.

Premium can help you be more proactive in your job search. The ability to message people outside your network means you can reach out to recruiters, hiring managers, or people in your target industry without waiting for them to accept a connection request first. Seeing who viewed your profile can tell you whether a company is interested in you, which may prompt you to follow up.

For most job seekers, the free version is sufficient. Premium is most useful if you are actively networking, applying to many jobs and want to follow up with hiring managers directly, or if you want to understand salary ranges for roles you are considering. If you rarely use LinkedIn or only check it occasionally, Premium is unlikely to change your job search outcome.

How to cancel LinkedIn Premium and get a refund

You can cancel your Premium subscription anytime through your account settings. Go to your profile, select "Settings and privacy," then "Account preferences," then "Subscriptions." You will see your active subscription and a "Cancel subscription" button. Click it and confirm.

If you cancel within 14 days of purchase, LinkedIn will refund the full amount you paid. After 14 days, you keep the subscription until the end of your current billing period, but you will not be charged for the next period. There is no penalty for canceling, and you can resubscribe later if you want to.

When you cancel, you lose access to Premium features immediately, but your free LinkedIn account remains active. Any connections you made, messages you sent, or courses you started are still there.

LinkedIn Premium versus other ways to network and find jobs

LinkedIn Premium is one tool among many for job searching and networking. A free LinkedIn profile, combined with job boards like Indeed or Glassdoor, email outreach to recruiters, and informational interviews, can be just as effective for many people. The choice depends on your industry, how actively you network, and whether you prefer to work through a platform or directly with people.

If you are in sales, recruiting, or a field where LinkedIn is the primary professional network, Premium may be worth the cost. If you work in a field where networking happens through other channels — industry conferences, professional associations, or direct referrals — Premium may not add much value. Consider whether the specific features (profile viewers, unlimited messaging, salary data) solve a real problem in your job search before you subscribe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I try LinkedIn Premium for free before I pay?

LinkedIn does not offer a free trial, but it frequently discounts the first month to $9.99 or less for new subscribers. This is a low-cost way to test whether Premium features are useful for you before committing to the full monthly price.

Does LinkedIn Premium show my profile to more people?

No. Premium does not change your visibility or boost your profile in search results. Your free profile is visible to recruiters and other LinkedIn users in the same way. Premium only adds features for you to use — it does not make you more visible to others.

Will Premium help me get a job faster?

Premium can help you be more proactive — you can message recruiters directly and see who viewed your profile — but it does not may provide faster results. For most job seekers, a strong free profile, consistent applications, and direct outreach are more important than Premium features.

What happens to my messages if I cancel Premium?

Your messages stay in your inbox. You can still read and reply to messages you received while you had Premium. You just lose the ability to send new messages to people outside your network once your subscription ends.

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for someone just starting their career?

Usually not. Early-career job seekers benefit more from building a strong free profile, connecting with classmates and mentors, and applying to jobs directly. Premium features like salary data and unlimited messaging are more useful once you are actively networking or changing jobs.