In a hyper-connected world where career opportunities increasingly live online, LinkedIn Premium has become a powerful tool for professionals to stand out, connect, and grow. But for many in Pakistan, that little golden badge comes with a staggering price tag, $29 per month, or nearly 10,000 PKR. What seems like pocket change in Silicon Valley is an entire week’s worth of groceries for countless Pakistani professionals.
The Cost Barrier Nobody Talks About
LinkedIn Premium promises features like InMail credits, advanced search filters, and insight into who’s viewing your profile. For someone in a high-paying market, $29 might feel reasonable, but in Pakistan, where average monthly salaries for many entry- and mid-level professionals range from 40,000 to 80,000 PKR, this subscription eats up a significant percentage of income.
What’s worse, senior professionals outside major tech or finance hubs also struggle with affordability. A senior engineer or manager may earn more than a junior employee, but even they think twice before committing to a recurring 10k bill for a single platform. Also a buismess opportunity for linkedin as well where hundred of thousands of professionals that are currently unable to subscribe to the linkedin premium will be swicthed to linkedin premium contributing towards linkedin profits and a more talent pool to the companies relyimg on linked candidates for hirings.
The Real-World Impact: Missed Opportunities
When professionals cannot afford LinkedIn Premium, they’re locked out of key career advantages:
Limited Networking: Without InMail, reaching decision-makers or recruiters is much harder.
Restricted Job Insights: Premium job listings offer insider details, but they remain behind a paywall.
Global Disadvantage: Professionals in developed economies can easily pay for these tools, gaining an edge in visibility and opportunities. While even more competent professionals with currencies contstraint no matter how skillful, knwoledgeable or effiecien they are with a weak currency.
This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about access to a level playing field in the global job market, and right now, Pakistani professionals are playing uphill.
Global Platforms, Local Inequality
LinkedIn’s pricing model reflects Western income levels but ignores the economic realities of emerging markets. Netflix, Spotify, and other platforms have localized pricing to reflect purchasing power in countries like Pakistan, India, and Indonesia. So why not LinkedIn, a platform supposedly committed to “equal opportunity for every member of the global workforce”?
By charging uniform rates worldwide, LinkedIn unintentionally reinforces inequality. Those in high-income countries enjoy affordable tools to boost careers, while equally talented individuals in lower-income markets are shut out where many professionals that are fit for the global market and can contribute towards the global economies and shaping strategic landscape of buisness leaderships.
My Opinion
Professional growth shouldn’t depend on where you’re born or how strong your currency is. The question isn’t whether LinkedIn Premium is valuable, absolutely it is. The question is whether it’s accessible to the very people who could benefit from it the most.
For now, Pakistani professionals are forced to choose between investing a quarter of their paycheck in a networking tool or going without it altogether. Unless LinkedIn and similar platforms adopt localized pricing models, the digital playing field will remain tilted and millions of talented professionals will continue to climb without a fair ladder.
Your like, comments and shares towards this article will be consider as a contribution and vote towards providing a level playing fields to the Pakistani professionals to play and a justice to the pakistani professional community which are already fighting with several challenges like income taxes, lower payscales, shrinked job market and still needs to pay a high chunk of thier salaries to connect with global opportunities and networks.