Updated: February 2025

LinkedIn Job Advertising Costs: 2025 Guide for the US & Europe

Answer in 60 words: Promoted LinkedIn jobs operate on CPC bids with $7–$10 daily minimums. Expect $1.50–$4.50 per click, translating to $1–$8 cost per applicant (U.S. average $2.83). It typically takes ~57 applicants to make one hire, so ad spend alone lands near $161 per hire before recruiter time, interviews, or onboarding.

Need the full pricing stack—including Premium, Learning, ads, and Sales Navigator? Start with the pillar: LinkedIn Costs & ROI.

LinkedIn remains the top channel for professional and white-collar recruiting. This guide consolidates 2024–2025 data, compares the U.S. and Europe, shows how costs escalate by role, and shares ways Postiv-powered employer branding lowers your reliance on paid clicks.

Jump to

• How LinkedIn Job Ads Work
• Pricing Ranges and Benchmarks
• Cost per Applicant and Cost per Hire
• Role and Region Comparisons
• Hidden Hiring Costs in Europe
• Best Practices to Control Spend
• Employer Branding vs. Paid Reach
• FAQ

How LinkedIn Job Ads Work

• Every job post starts free—appearing in search results and to your network.
• Sponsoring a post pushes it into recommended jobs, email alerts, and top search positions. You pay per valid click.
• Set a daily or lifetime budget. LinkedIn bills the card when the job closes (30 days) or the account hits $500.
• Keep roles live at least five days; LinkedIn data shows you need that long to build applicant volume.

Pricing Ranges and Benchmarks

Use these ranges to set starting bids, then watch click quality daily. If cost per applicant creeps above the value of a qualified interview, pause and adjust targeting.

Cost per Applicant and Cost per Hire

Research from Lobstr, FidForward, and SHRM provides a clear funnel:

1. Clicks ➜ Applicants: $1.50–$4.50 CPC yields $1–$8 per applicant depending on conversion rate.
2. Applicants ➜ Hire: LinkedIn averages 57 applicants per hire. Multiply by your cost per applicant to estimate ad spend per hire (e.g., 57 × $2.83 ≈ $161).
3. Total cost per hire: SHRM reports the all-in U.S. average at $4,700 in 2023, with executive hires topping $28,000 once you add recruiter time, assessments, and onboarding.

Track each stage in a spreadsheet so you can benchmark against these numbers and negotiate budgets with finance.

Role and Region Comparisons

Roles aligned with LinkedIn’s professional audience (sales, marketing, engineering, leadership) perform best. Blue-collar or high-turnover roles generally see better economics on boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter.

Hidden Hiring Costs in Europe

When budgeting for European hires, factor in employer taxes and social contributions. EuroDev estimates the employer cost for an €80K salary at:

• France: ≈ €116K (45% employer social charges)
• Italy: ≈ €104,774
• Germany: ≈ €95,984
• Finland: ≈ €93,320
• United Kingdom: ≈ €92,037

Even if LinkedIn CPCs are similar, total cost per hire rises because of statutory benefits. Use these numbers to make the case for employer branding and internal mobility programs.

Best Practices to Control Spend

1. Monitor daily. Pause or reallocate budget if clicks don’t convert to applicants within 48–72 hours.
2. Optimise job titles. Use clear, searchable titles. Layer screening questions to discourage unqualified clicks.
3. Adjust geo targeting. For remote roles, test lower-cost regions (Canada, UK, Germany) to balance quality and budget.
4. Time postings. Launch Tuesday–Thursday and keep ads live at least five days for peak engagement.
5. Leverage referrals. Pair paid ads with referral bonuses—SHRM shows referrals cut cost per hire dramatically.
6. Adopt skills-based assessments. Automation trims interview time and can reduce cost per hire by up to 30%.

📥 Download: LinkedIn Hiring Budget Planner (Google Sheet) — plug in CPC, applicant targets, recruiter time, and onboarding costs to build a board-ready forecast.

Employer Branding vs. Paid Reach

LinkedIn recommends strengthening employer branding to curb paid spend. Consistent culture stories, employee spotlights, and thought-leadership posts make candidates more likely to apply without needing large ad budgets. Postiv turns internal expertise into ready-to-publish carousels and documents, schedules posts at optimal times, and helps you respond fast when “Viewed my profile” leads appear. The result: lower CPCs, higher applicant quality, and faster hiring cycles.

FAQ

Are LinkedIn job ads better than Indeed or ZipRecruiter?

LinkedIn excels for white-collar, professional, and leadership roles—delivering fewer but higher-quality applicants. For hourly or high-turnover roles, volume-focused boards often win on cost.

What’s the cheapest way to promote a job on LinkedIn?

Start with the minimum daily budget, tighten targeting, and use screening questions. If results lag, invest in employer branding content or employee referrals before simply raising bids.

How do I report ROI to leadership?

Track cost per applicant, interview-to-offer rate, cost per hire, and retention at 90 days. Compare LinkedIn performance to other channels so you can double down where quality is highest.

Further Reading

• LinkedIn Costs & ROI
• LinkedIn Advertising Costs
• Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator Cost