Is LinkedIn Premium Career Worth It? (for Job Seekers)

The following post explores the question: Is LinkedIn Premium Career Worth It? (for Job Seekers)

If you’re a job seeker in today’s market, you’ve likely heard how important LinkedIn is for finding opportunities and building your professional presence. Which begs the question: should you sign up for LinkedIn Premium?

Read: Benefits of Following Companies on LinkedIn

Related: Selecting Your Industry on LinkedIn (with PDF List)

In this article, we’ll break down what the subscription actually offers, how it works, and when it makes sense to invest in it—so you can decide if it’s the right move for your job search.

Here’s what you need to know.

What Is LinkedIn Premium Career?

LinkedIn Premium Career is a subscription-based plan (billed monthly or annually) that unlocks additional tools beyond what you get with a free LinkedIn account.

It’s worth noting there are several Premium options on LinkedIn for different cohorts, but this article is talking specifically about ‘Premium Career’, which are tools specifically for job seekers.

Who Should Consider LinkedIn Premium Career

• Active job seekers in competitive fields who want every possible edge.
• Career switchers looking to upskill and break into new roles.
• Professionals seeking recruiter visibility and networking opportunities.
• Those who value strategic insights and data about applicants and job posts.

What LinkedIn Premium Career Gets You

InMail Messages

Premium gives you 5 InMail messages per month, letting you reach recruiters, hiring managers, and people outside your immediate network. This can be a game-changer if you’re proactive about networking. However, if you never send InMails, you’re paying for a feature you don’t use.

Who Viewed Your Profile

Premium lets you see who’s viewed your profile over the past year, as well as trends and related connections. This can help you identify opportunities and follow up with interested recruiters.

AI-Powered Profile Enhancements

Premium offers AI-powered tools to strengthen your profile summary and descriptions. Essentially, it helps with writing better content to help your profile stand out and communicate your message.

Job Insights

Premium helps you focus your job search by highlighting roles where you’re a top applicant and letting you flag your top-choice jobs to show recruiters which positions matter most to you. It also provides advanced search filters to target jobs with fewer applicants or specific benefits.

AI-Powered Messaging and Coaching

AI tools help draft messages to hiring managers and provide personalized career advice. This is particularly useful if you struggle with networking messages or want tailored suggestions to strengthen your candidacy.

LinkedIn Learning

As a Premium Career subscriber you get access to a digital library of 21,000+ expert-led courses. This is less about job searching directly and more about building marketable skills to boost your profile and confidence.

Status and Belonging

Even if you don’t actively use the Premium tools, other LinkedIn users (like hiring managers, recruiters, and colleagues) can see that you have a Premium profile. From that vantage point, it can be a status symbol to others, giving the impression that you’re serious, committed, and invested in your personal brand.

LinkedIn Premium Career Pricing

LinkedIn Premium Career is a subscription service. You may choose to sign up on a month-to-month basis, which allows you to cancel at any time, or you may pay upfront for a 12-month subscription at a lower cost.

Find out which plan is right for your needs by comparing features and price.

Here are the different LinkedIn Premium Career plans (as of November, 1 2025):

Monthly Plan – $29.99/month

• Billed every 30 days, this plan is ideal for short-term use. You can cancel anytime.

Annual Plan – $19.99/month (billed upfront for 12 months)

• Paying upfront saves about 33% compared to the monthly plan.

Free Trial – 1 Month

• New subscribers can try all Premium Career features free for 30 days.

Pictured below is a screenshot of the FAQs for LinkedIn Premium Career.

Is LinkedIn Premium Career Worth It? My Two Cents.

Here’s my take: it really depends. LinkedIn Premium is definitely worth it if you know why you’re signing up and what you hope to get out of it. However, too often, job seekers sign up without much of a gameplan.

For me, the key to making Premium work is intentionality. Just having access to the tools isn’t enough—the real value comes from actively using them in a deliberate, strategic way. When you sign up knowing what you want to accomplish, you can focus on the features that actually help you.

That said, even if you don’t use any of the tools, there are some aesthetic benefits. In certain circles, having a LinkedIn Premium badge on your account can be seen as a status symbol of your professionalism.

In short, LinkedIn Premium Career is a toolkit, and like any toolkit, it works best if you know how to use the tools. Signing up without a plan is the fastest way to waste both money and time. If you approach it intentionally (understanding what you want to achieve and how the features can help) it can be a real asset in your job search. Otherwise, the free version of LinkedIn can still serve you well without the extra expense.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope this article helps you answer the question: is LinkedIn Premium Career Worth It? In general, if you know why you’re signing up for it, then yes, go for it. If you’re signing up blindly and hoping it will magically help you, then I recommend holding off and saving your money.

If you’re ready for professional assistance with building a top notch LinkedIn Profile, my team and I are here to support you. JobStars is an A+ BBB-rated service that has earned multiple consecutive Complaint Free Awards.

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