LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 810 million members worldwide. Many professionals rely on LinkedIn to build their personal brand, connect with other professionals, find jobs, market their business, and more. But to get the most out of LinkedIn requires having a premium account, which comes at a cost. So how much does it cost to use LinkedIn for a full year? This comprehensive guide will breakdown the different LinkedIn premium subscription plans and their pricing to help you determine the right option based on your needs and budget.
LinkedIn Free vs. Premium
LinkedIn offers both a free and premium version. With a free account, you can create a profile, connect with other members, join groups, follow companies, and search and apply for jobs. However, there are limitations such as only being able to message other members who you are directly connected to.
Premium unlocks additional features such as:
- Unlimited profile searches
- See full profiles of members outside your network
- Advanced filtering and sorting options when searching profiles
- InMail messages to reach anyone on LinkedIn
- Who’s viewed your profile
- Skills profile assessments
- Salary and company culture insights
For most professionals, upgrading to a premium account is worthwhile to get increased visibility and access additional features. But how much do the different premium plans cost?
LinkedIn Premium Plans
LinkedIn offers four premium subscription options:
- Premium Career – lowest cost plan aimed at students and those starting their career
- Premium Business – designed for sales professionals and small business owners
- Premium Hiring – for recruiters and HR professionals
- Premium Sales – best for sales professionals
Let’s take a closer look at what’s included in each plan and their pricing.
Premium Career
Premium Career has all the core premium features but at the lowest price point. It’s best for those just starting out in their career or students looking to land their first job.
Key Premium Career features:
- InMail messages
- Profile visibility boost
- See who’s viewed your profile
- Advanced profile filtering when searching
- Professional learning courses
Premium Career costs $29.99 per month when paying monthly or $239.88 per year when paying annually. So if paying monthly, it would cost $359.88 for the whole year. The annual subscription provides savings of over $100 compared to month-to-month payments.
Premium Business
Premium Business builds on Premium Career by adding features tailored towards sales professionals, recruiters, and small business owners.
Additional Premium Business features:
- 20 InMail messages per month
- Advanced analytics on content performance
- Talent and Company Insights
- Premium professional learning courses
Premium Business is $59.99 per month on a monthly plan. If paying annually, it’s $479.88 per year. So for the full year upfront it’s $479.88 compared to $719.88 if going month-to-month.
Premium Hiring
Premium Hiring provides recruiting-focused tools for HR professionals and hiring managers.
Key Premium Hiring features:
- InMail messages
- Profile visibility boost
- See who’s viewed your profile
- Advanced profile search filtering
- Talent Insights
- Recruiter Lite – post jobs, manage candidates, send InMail
Premium Hiring is $59.99 per month or $479.88 annually. The annual plan offers savings of over $200 compared to monthly payments.
Premium Sales
Premium Sales provides sales professionals with tools to find prospects, build relationships, and close more deals.
Additional Premium Sales features:
- InMail messages
- Profile visibility boost
- Expanded network potential with lead recommendations
- Advanced profile search filtering
- Sales Insights
- PointDrive presentations
Premium Sales costs $79.99 per month or $639.88 annually. You save around $300 by paying for the full year upfront rather than month-to-month.
LinkedIn Learning
In addition to the premium plans above, LinkedIn also offers LinkedIn Learning. This provides access to thousands of online courses focused on professional skills development.
It can be added onto the premium plans above or purchased as a standalone subscription. Pricing options are:
- Monthly – $19.99/month
- Annual – $179.88/year
- Annual via Premium subscription – $11.99/month
So if you wanted full access to LinkedIn Learning for the whole year, it would cost $179.88 as a standalone subscription. However, you can add it onto an annual premium subscription for just $11.99 per month, which saves you over $100 annually.
Getting Started with Premium
To upgrade to a premium account, simply:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile
- Click on the “Try Premium Free” link in the top toolbar
- Select the premium plan you want to try
- Enter your payment info
- Start your free 1 month trial
After the trial ends, your premium subscription will begin. You can downgrade back to free at any time.
When signing up, opt for the annual subscription versus monthly payments to maximize savings. Also take advantage of any limited time special offers which periodically provide discounts.
For example, around the holidays LinkedIn often offers 20-50% off annual subscriptions. So timing your signup to leverage these deals can lead to big savings.
Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?
Whether one of the premium plans is worthwhile depends on your career stage and how you use LinkedIn.
For most professionals, upgrading to premium provides a strong ROI by:
- Increasing your visibility and access to insights on who’s viewed your profile
- Enabling more advanced filtering when searching profiles
- Unlocking unlimited InMail messages to contact anyone
- Providing access to premium professional learning courses
However, if you just use LinkedIn occasionally or are still early in your career, the free account may be sufficient.
Overall, Premium Business or Premium Sales tend to provide the highest value based on the expanded features tailored to sales professionals and business owners. But any of the paid plans can be worthwhile depending on your usage and career goals.
Conclusion
To summarize, here is what it costs for LinkedIn premium for an entire year:
| LinkedIn Plan | Annual Cost |
|---|---|
| Premium Career | $239.88 |
| Premium Business | $479.88 |
| Premium Hiring | $479.88 |
| Premium Sales | $639.88 |
| LinkedIn Learning | $179.88 |
The annual subscription offers big savings compared to month-to-month payments. To maximize value, go for the Premium Business or Premium Sales plan based on your needs.
With advanced features for networking, branding, and insights, LinkedIn Premium provides strong ROI for career-minded professionals. An annual plan creates a complete LinkedIn toolkit to help take your career to the next level.