LinkedIn Premium gives you tools to stand out in job searches, track who views your profile, and message people outside your network
LinkedIn Premium is a paid membership tier that sits above the free LinkedIn account. The main features are: seeing who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days, sending messages to people you don't know without using an introduction, getting a monthly allotment of "InMail" messages that bypass the inbox, and access to LinkedIn Learning courses. You also get priority in search results when recruiters look for candidates with your skills.
The cost varies by country and subscription length. In the United States, a monthly plan runs roughly $40 to $50 per month when paid month-to-month, but drops to $30 to $35 per month if you commit to a year. LinkedIn also offers a "Premium Career" tier (around $60 per month) that adds salary insights and more profile views, and a "Premium Business" tier for sales professionals. The exact price you see may differ based on whether you're a new member, your location, and current promotions.
Whether Premium makes sense depends on what you're trying to do. If you're actively job hunting and want to reach recruiters directly, or if you work in sales and need to contact prospects outside your network, it can be worth the cost. If you're casually networking or just keeping your profile current, the free version handles most of what you need.
Key Takeaways
- LinkedIn Premium lets you see profile viewers, message people outside your network, and access LinkedIn Learning courses for a monthly fee.
- The monthly cost in the US ranges from $30 to $50 depending on how long you commit and which tier you choose.
- Profile viewer data and direct messaging are most useful if you're job hunting or in sales; casual networkers may not need them.
- You can cancel anytime, so a one-month trial during an active job search is a low-risk way to test whether the features help you.
Who Benefits Most from Premium
Job seekers in active search mode get the most direct value. When you're explore to roles, Premium lets you see which recruiters or hiring managers have looked at your profile. That tells you whether your resume caught attention and gives you a reason to follow up. You can also send a direct message to a recruiter without needing a mutual connection, which cuts out the step of asking someone for an introduction.
Sales professionals and business development people find Premium useful because they can reach prospects directly. If you're working on commission or building a pipeline, the ability to message someone cold on LinkedIn without an introduction saves time and keeps outreach in one place instead of hunting for email addresses.
People in competitive fields or early in their careers sometimes find Premium worth it during a focused job search window—say, three to six months. The profile viewer feature and direct messaging can accelerate the process enough to pay for itself if it leads to one interview you wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
What Each Premium Tier Includes
| Feature | Free | Premium Career | Premium Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| See who viewed your profile | Limited (15 days) | Last 90 days | Last 90 days |
| Send messages outside your network | No | Yes | Yes |
| InMail messages per month | 0 | 5 | 25 |
| LinkedIn Learning access | Limited | Full | Full |
| Salary insights | No | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly cost (US, approximate) | $0 | $30–$50 | $60–$80 |
Premium Career is the most common choice for job seekers and people building their professional network. Premium Business is built for sales teams and includes more InMail messages and advanced search filters. If you're not in sales and not actively recruiting, Premium Career is where you'll find the features that matter.
The difference between tiers comes down to how many people you need to reach and how much recruiter visibility matters to you. Career tier covers most job search needs. Business tier is overkill unless you're sending dozens of outreach messages per month.
How to Test Premium Before Committing
LinkedIn often offers a one-month trial at a reduced rate—sometimes $1 or $5 for the first month—when you're logged in to your account. This is the best way to see whether the features actually change how you job hunt or network. During that month, pay attention to whether seeing profile viewers leads to conversations, and whether direct messaging gets you responses.
If you don't see a trial offer on your account, you can start a paid subscription and cancel within a few days if it's not working for you. LinkedIn's cancellation policy allows you to stop anytime, and you won't be charged again. Just go to your settings, find the subscription section, and select "Cancel membership." You keep access through the end of the billing period.
A practical approach: if you're in the middle of a job search or a sales push, commit to one month. Track whether Premium features lead to real conversations or interviews. If they do, renewing makes sense. If not, you've only spent $30 to $50 to find out.
LinkedIn Learning and Other Included Features
Premium includes full access to LinkedIn Learning, which is LinkedIn's library of video courses on business, tech, creative, and soft skills. The courses are short—most are 30 minutes to a few hours—and you can read them to watch offline. If you were already planning to take courses on LinkedIn Learning, Premium pays for itself quickly since a standalone Learning subscription costs about $40 per month.
You also get priority in recruiter searches. When a recruiter filters for people with your job title and skills, Premium members appear higher in the results. This doesn't may provide you'll be contacted, but it increases visibility. The salary insights feature shows you what people in your role and location earn, which is useful when negotiating or deciding whether to pursue a job.
The "Open to Work" feature is free, but Premium members can signal to recruiters privately without their current employer seeing it. If you're employed and job hunting quietly, this privacy layer matters. You can also see which companies are actively hiring for roles that match your profile.
When Premium Probably Isn't Worth It
If you're not actively job hunting or selling, Premium features sit unused. Casual networkers who check LinkedIn once a week don't need to know who viewed their profile or send cold messages. The free version gives you everything you need to maintain connections and stay visible in your industry.
If you're early in your career and building your network, focus on posting regularly and engaging with others' content on the free plan first. That activity matters more to recruiters than a Premium badge. Once you have a solid network and you're actively looking, Premium becomes more useful.
People who are employed and not planning to move soon rarely see a return on Premium. The features are built around job search and sales outreach. If neither applies to you right now, wait until you need them. Spending $30 to $50 per month on a tool you won't use is money that could go toward other professional development.
How to Cancel if You Change Your Mind
Canceling LinkedIn Premium takes two minutes. Log in, go to your profile photo in the top right, select "Settings and privacy," then "Account preferences," then "Subscriptions." You'll see your active subscription listed. Click "Cancel membership" and confirm. You won't be charged again, and you'll keep Premium access through the end of your current billing period.
If you're on a free trial and want to cancel before it converts to a paid subscription, do this at least a few days before the trial ends. LinkedIn will send you a reminder email, but it's straightforward to miss. Mark your calendar if you're unsure.
Some people cancel and then see a "win-back" offer a few weeks later—a discounted month to come back. If you found Premium useful but want to pause, canceling and waiting for that offer can save you money. There's no penalty for canceling and resubscribing later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does LinkedIn Premium help you get hired?
Premium doesn't get you hired by itself, but it can help you reach recruiters and hiring managers more directly. The real work is still a strong profile, relevant experience, and good applications. Premium is a tool that speeds up the process, not a replacement for doing the work.
Can you see who viewed your profile for free?
Free accounts can see a limited view of profile visitors from the last 15 days, but only if they're logged in. Premium shows the last 90 days and includes more detail. If you're not logged in, you won't see any viewer data on either plan.
Is LinkedIn Learning worth it separately from Premium?
LinkedIn Learning as a standalone subscription costs about $40 per month. If you plan to take multiple courses, Premium Career at $30 to $50 per month gives you Learning plus the job search features, so it's a better deal. If you only want Learning, a standalone subscription might be cheaper depending on current promotions.
What happens to your Premium features if you cancel?
Once your subscription ends, you lose access to direct messaging outside your network, InMail, and the extended profile viewer history. Your profile itself stays the same, and you keep all your connections and posts. You can always resubscribe later.
Do recruiters know if you have Premium?
Recruiters can see that you have Premium on your profile, but it doesn't influence whether they contact you. Your skills, experience, and how well you match the role matter far more than your subscription status.