LinkedIn has become one of the most popular platforms for both job seekers and employers. With over 740 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site and a go-to resource for posting jobs, searching for candidates, and making connections.
For job seekers, LinkedIn offers a powerful search engine to find open positions, get notified about relevant new openings, and apply for jobs directly through the site. Job posters can reach LinkedIn’s massive audience of active and passive candidates when they need to hire.
But does it cost money to post jobs on LinkedIn? Or is job posting free like creating a LinkedIn profile?
The answer depends on the type of LinkedIn account you have and the features you need. Here’s what you need to know about LinkedIn pricing for recruiters and companies looking to post job openings.
LinkedIn Basic Accounts
LinkedIn Basic accounts are free for all members. These allow you to create a profile, connect with other professionals, join groups, follow companies, and search for jobs.
With a Basic account, you can post one job opening for free. This free job posting stays live for 30 days before expiring. You can renew it for another 30 days as long as you are still hiring for the same role.
Posting just a single job ad on LinkedIn is a great way for small companies and startups on a tight budget to promote an opening at no cost. However, larger employers with ongoing hiring needs will likely need to upgrade their account.
LinkedIn Premium Accounts
To post more job openings and access other recruiting features, you’ll need a Premium account. LinkedIn Premium comes in three levels:
- Premium Career – $29.99/month
- Premium Business – $64.99/month
- Premium Sales – $99.99/month
A Premium Career account is designed for individual job seekers. This plan lets you post unlimited job applications and view more profile information about who’s viewed your profile.
Premium Business is LinkedIn’s most popular paid plan for employers. It allows you to post up to 10 job postings at a time. You also get added analytics about who is viewing and interacting with your postings.
Premium Sales has all the same job posting capabilities as Premium Business. It also includes sales-focused features like seeing buyer intent signals and having uncapped InMail messages to reach prospective candidates.
LinkedIn Recruiter Plans
For larger hiring needs, LinkedIn offers recruiter-focused paid plans in three tiers:
- Recruiter Lite – $159.95/month
- Recruiter Professional – $599.95/month
- Recruiter Corporate – Custom pricing
Recruiter Lite allows you to post 25 jobs at a time and make use of LinkedIn’s talent pool matching technology. Recruiter Professional increases that to 150 job postings and adds the ability to send unlimited InMails to potential candidates.
At the high end, Recruiter Corporate is a customized plan for enterprise teams. It offers advanced recruiter analytics, pipeline tracking, and integration capabilities.
Here’s a comparison of the key differences in LinkedIn’s paid job posting plans:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Number of Active Job Postings | InMail Messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Business | $64.99 | 10 | 30 |
| Recruiter Lite | $159.95 | 25 | 50 |
| Recruiter Professional | $599.95 | 150 | Unlimited |
| Recruiter Corporate | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Additional Paid Job Posting Options
In addition to the main account types, LinkedIn offers a few other paid job ad solutions:
- Boosted job postings – For $299 per posting, you can pay to boost the visibility of one job in searches and on relevant candidate’s homepages for 30 days.
- Sponsored InMail – Send InMail messages to specific candidates to notify them about an open position for $75 per message.
- Candidate Insights – Unlock detailed candidate analytics for your job postings starting at $500/month.
You can purchase these upgrades individually or access some of them through an upgraded account.
How Does LinkedIn Pricing Compare?
LinkedIn’s paid job posting plans can range from less than $30 per month into the hundreds or thousands for enterprise teams. How does this compare to other major job board websites?
Here is an overview of how the monthly costs stack up for mid-tier plans offering at least 25 active job posts:
| Site | Mid-Tier Monthly Price |
|---|---|
| $159.95 | |
| Monster | $249 |
| Indeed | $249 |
| ZipRecruiter | $259 |
| CareerBuilder | $259 |
As you can see, LinkedIn’s Recruiter Lite plan offers comparable features for about $100 less per month than competitor sites. The tradeoff is that you get access to LinkedIn’s exclusive talent pool rather than a wider general audience.
Should You Pay to Post Jobs on LinkedIn?
Is paying for LinkedIn job postings worth it for your hiring needs? Here are some factors to consider:
- How quickly do you need to fill positions? Paid postings tend to generate faster results.
- What is your hiring volume? For one-off openings, a free post may suffice. But ongoing recruiting needs demand a paid plan.
- Is it hard to find quality candidates in your industry? LinkedIn’s targeting tools can connect you with the right talent pool.
- Do you need advanced analytics? Upgraded accounts provide valuable insights into your job ads’ performance.
- What is your recruitment budget? Paid plans offer features that boost efficiency but cost more.
LinkedIn job posts are not necessarily cheap – but they deliver results. The more urgently and frequently you need to hire, the more value a paid job posting plan provides. Investing in the right level of LinkedIn recruiting access can pay off with higher quality applicants compared to free options.
Conclusion
Posting jobs isn’t free on LinkedIn, but the costs bring significant advantages compared to solely using the free features. Premium job posting plans unlock larger candidate reach, advanced analytics, and higher visibility for your open roles.
While individuals and very small companies can use the single free posting, larger employers with frequent hiring needs require the expanded capacity and tools of paid accounts. Mid-tier plans start around $160/month for 25 active job ads. Enterprise recruiters pay much more for extensive capabilities and unlimited LinkedIn job posts.
Ultimately, the ideal LinkedIn job posting plan depends on your hiring volume, budget, and need for robust analytics. Paying to post positions directly in the feeds of qualified, engaged candidates can be worth the investment – especially in competitive industries where talent acquisition makes or breaks your business. With a strategic approach, LinkedIn job posts deliver quality applicants cost-effectively.