The past few years have seen the employment landscape rapidly evolve. With the rise of remote work and new technologies, your digital presence is more important than ever before. This means that a strong LinkedIn profile is no longer simply optional — it’s necessary.

95% of hiring managers use LinkedIn to find candidates (and it’s not long before the last 5% catch up to the rest of us). If that figure makes you think it may be worth paying for a LinkedIn Premium account, here’s what you need to know – including prices, benefits, and whether it’ll really help you land a job.

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it?

The short answer is … not really. (We’ll discuss why in a minute.)

The longer answer is, it depends what you’re hoping to get out of it. LinkedIn Premium gives you access to a number of different features that may or may not help you in your job search. What it won’t do is boost the visibility of your profile or help you to optimize it — which are the most important factors in getting hired.

What is LinkedIn Premium?

LinkedIn Premium is a paid version of LinkedIn that offers extra features not available to free account holders. There are several plans available, but if you’re reading this, you’re probably looking at the LinkedIn Premium Career plan. This is the least expensive subscription available and the only one targeted at job seekers rather than businesses or professional recruiters.

How much is LinkedIn Premium?

The cost of a LinkedIn Premium Career subscription is $34.99 per month or $359.88 per year (a savings of $5 per month if you choose annual billing).

For fellow recruiters and business owners, you could be looking at anywhere from $59.99 per month for a LinkedIn Premium Business subscription to thousands of dollars for a LinkedIn Recruiter plan.

What does LinkedIn Premium offer?

Still interested? Here’s a rundown of some of the benefits of a LinkedIn Premium subscription (and when you might need them).

InMail

What you can do: Send 5 InMail messages per month to anyone on LinkedIn — including people not in your network.
When it’s worth it: This may be useful if you’re a freelancer or independent contractor using LinkedIn to grow your business, but if you’re a job seeker trying to build your network, you’re better off sending a personalized LinkedIn connection request.

Advanced search filters

What you can do: Use up to 10 advanced search filters at a time.
When it’s worth it: If you’re aiming to fine-tune your search. This may help if you’re in a niche industry or location and are struggling to find the right people to connect with.

Who’s viewed your profile

What you can do: See a full list of people who have viewed your profile in the last 90 days.
When it’s worth it: If you’ve been applying for jobs or reaching out to recruiters and want to know if they’re viewing your profile. This can help you refine your approach, but if it’s just for curiosity’s sake, you’re better off saving your money.

Related: Proven Strategies to Get More Views on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Learning

What you can do: Get unlimited access to LinkedIn's library of training videos taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.
When it’s worth it: If there are specific courses that will help you build key skills for the job you want. You should also check out reputable online course providers like EdX or Coursera — or browse Resume Worded’s database of free online courses.

Job insights

What you can do: See detailed insights about jobs you're interested in and how you compare to other applicants.
When it’s worth it: If you’re dying to know who else you’re up against. This can feed you statistics, but without real insights from recruiters, it may not reflect your actual chances of getting to the interview stage.

Interview preparation

What you can do: Access expert-approved sample interview questions and tips.
When it’s worth it: If you’re new to job hunting and not sure where to start preparing for an interview — but before you pay for it, check out some free alternatives like our Ultimate Interview Question Bank.

Can LinkedIn Premium help you get hired?

As a hiring manager, I don’t place a premium on profiles with a Premium badge — so if you’re thinking of upgrading just because you think it looks good, don’t bother.

So, what does make a difference? An optimized profile with a professional photo, compelling summary, detailed work experiences, and relevant skills is what draws my attention. In other words, it’s the content of your profile that matters.

Here’s what I’m looking for in a LinkedIn profile:

• Relevant content. A profile that speaks to the job requirements, highlights relevant skills, and details quantifiable achievements will catch my eye, whether it's Premium or not.
• Profile engagement. If I’m seriously considering you as a candidate, I’ll take more than a quick glance at your profile. The way you engage on LinkedIn, the quality and quantity of connections, the content you share, and your professional endorsements all tell me more about your professional standing than whether you paid for a LinkedIn subscription.
• Your professional story. Your LinkedIn should give me a sense of where you’ve come from — and where you’re going. Tell me about your career journey, the obstacles you've overcome, the roles you've excelled in, and your contributions to projects.

Use the LinkedIn review tool below to optimize and enhance your LinkedIn profile.

Alternatives to LinkedIn Premium (or, how to optimize your LinkedIn profile for free)

The good news is, you don’t need a paid alternative to LinkedIn Premium — all you need to do is optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Master the art of the headline

If you’re still using a basic headline like “Job seeker,” it’s time to step it up a notch. Your headline is the first thing recruiters see, and — for better or for worse — we use it to make snap judgments about your candidacy. Instead of just stating your job title, highlight your key skills or career goals, including industry-relevant keywords that potential employers may be searching for.

BLAND: Software engineer
EFFECTIVE: Skilled software engineer with a passion for AI technology

Make your summary section count

That professional story I mentioned above? This is where it should live. This isn’t a resume, so don’t worry about brevity — instead, try to inject it with a little personality. Your summary should reflect who you are and what you can bring to the table, so don’t be afraid to use real examples and a more conversational tone.

BLAND: Results-driven sales manager with 10+ years’ experience.
EFFECTIVE: With over 10 years of experience as a sales manager with Paperclips USA, I know what it’s like to go the extra mile and always make my sales quota …

Go beyond the job description

Most recruiters aren’t impressed by your job description — we want to know what you actually accomplished. Use action verbs like “Led,” “Created,” or “Developed” that reflect your contributions and quantify your achievements whenever possible.

BLAND: Responsible for corporate partnerships.
EFFECTIVE: Established and nurtured strategic partnerships with 10+ industry leaders, leading to a 77% increase in referral business.

Ask for recommendations

“Aren’t skill endorsements mostly meaningless?” Yes — but those aren’t the kind of endorsements we’re talking about.

Instead of a simple endorsement, why not ask the people you’ve actually worked with for a recommendation? One or two client testimonials is worth a hundred skill endorsements from friends and family.

Keep your profile active

Once you’ve taken the time to create an effective LinkedIn profile, don’t let it go to waste. An active profile shows that you’re engaged in your industry and passionate about the kind of work you do. It doesn’t even have to take a lot of effort — regularly updating your profile, posting links or polls, and liking, sharing, or commenting on others’ posts can all help keep your profile visible and looking relevant.

Boost your LinkedIn with Resume Worded’s free LinkedIn profile optimization tool

Want the same benefits as LinkedIn Premium, but for free? Resume Worded’s LinkedIn Review tool:

• Is curated by real hiring managers and recruiters from top companies.
• Uses an AI-powered engine to identify gaps in your profile and provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
• Pinpoints critical areas for improvement and provides custom advice alongside comprehensive explanations and examples, using proprietary algorithms to generate a score based on key criteria.
• Provides LinkedIn headline examples.
• Generates up to 5x more job opportunities, leads, and connections.
• Gives you increased visibility and engagement on your LinkedIn profile — for free.