How to Change Location on LinkedIn

Changing your location on LinkedIn seems like a simple tweak, but it's one of the most powerful moves you can make for your career. Whether you're moving to a new city, targeting clients in a different region, or casting a wider net for remote work, your location setting directly impacts who sees your profile. This guide will show you exactly how to change your location and provide strategies for using it to your advantage.

Why Your LinkedIn Location Matters So Much

Your location isn't just a line of text on your profile, it's a critical data point that LinkedIn's algorithm uses to filter and show opportunities. Recruiters and potential clients constantly use location-based searches to find talent. If your profile says you’re in Denver but you’re targeting jobs in Austin, you’re likely invisible to recruiters exclusively searching for Austin-based candidates. Here’s why getting it right is a game-changer.

• Recruiter Visibility: The vast majority of recruiters start their talent search by filtering for location. Setting your desired location puts you directly in their search results, even if you haven't moved yet.
• Client Targeting: If you're a freelancer, consultant, or small business owner, setting your location to a target market can make you appear more accessible and relevant to potential clients in that area. Someone in New York looking for a marketing consultant is more likely to engage with a profile that lists a New York location.
• Local Network Building: Updating your location helps LinkedIn suggest relevant local connections, companies, and industry groups. It signals to your network that you're part of a new professional community, inviting conversations and introductions.
• Signaling Intent: It tells a clear story. A location change is a strong signal that you are serious about making a move, which can open doors to conversations about relocation assistance or remote-first roles based in that hub.

How to Change Your Location on Your LinkedIn Profile: A Step-by-Step Guide

Updating your primary location is straightforward. This change appears right under your name in the main introduction section of your profile. You can do it from either a desktop browser or the mobile app.

On a Desktop Computer:

1. Navigate to your LinkedIn profile by clicking the “Me” icon in the top right corner of the navigation bar and selecting “View Profile”.
2. Once on your profile, look for the pencil icon (✎) on the right side of your introduction card (your profile picture and headline area). Click it to edit.
3. A pop-up window titled “Edit intro” will appear. Scroll down until you see the “Location” section.
4. Enter your new Country/Region. Then, start typing your City into the postal code or city field. LinkedIn will offer auto-suggestions, it's best to pick one from the list for accuracy.
5. Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the pop-up. Your location is now updated.

Pro Tip: LinkedIn sometimes requires a postal code to pinpoint your location, but it primarily displays the broader metropolitan area (e.g., "San Francisco Bay Area," "Greater Chicago Area").

On the LinkedIn Mobile App (iOS &, Android):

1. Open the LinkedIn app and tap on your profile picture in the top left corner.
2. Tap “View Profile” under your name.
3. Just like on the desktop, tap the pencil icon (✎) in your introduction section to open the “Edit intro” screen.
4. Scroll down to the “Location” fields.
5. Update your Country/Region and then type in your new City. Select an option from the drop-down list.
6. Tap “Save” in the top right corner.

Beyond Your Profile: Updating Your Job Seeking Preferences

Changing your profile location is only half the story if you're actively job hunting. LinkedIn has a separate feature called "Career interests" or "Open to work" that lets you specify the locations where you're seeking a job, which can be different from your current profile location. This is incredibly useful because it lets you tell recruiters you’re open to roles in multiple cities - or only open to remote work - without confusing your network.

How to Set Your Job Locations:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile.
2. Look for the box under your intro card that says "Open to." Click it and select "Finding a new job." If you've already set this up, click on your "Open to work" section and then the pencil icon to edit.
3. An “Edit job preferences” window will pop up. Here, you’ll see a field for “Job locations.”
4. You can add up to five locations. You can add cities, states, or even countries. Crucially, you can also select “Remote” as an option.
5. You can also specify who sees that you're open to work: either “All LinkedIn members” (which adds the green #OpentoWork photo frame) or “Recruiters only,” which discreetly lets people using LinkedIn Recruiter know you’re on the market.
6. Click “Save” to finalize your preferences.

This allows for incredible flexibility. For instance, you could be living in Miami (your profile location) but tell recruiters you're open to jobs in New York, London, Toronto, and Los Angeles, plus remote roles.

Strategic Location Changes for Your Career Goals

So, when and how should you make this change? It's not always as simple as updating it on moving day. Different situations call for different strategies.

For the Aspiring Relocator

If you're planning a move in the near future, change your location 1-3 months before your target move date. Why? That’s typically the length of a hiring cycle. Changing it early gets your profile into the search results for recruiters who are hiring for roles that will start right around the time you plan to arrive.

How to handle it: In your Summary or "About" section, be transparent. You can add a line like, “Relocating to the Greater Boston Area in June 2024 and actively seeking opportunities in fintech.” This clears up any confusion and shows genuine intent.

For the Remote Worker or Digital Nomad

If you work 100% remotely and your physical location is flexible, you have a few options. Listing a small, obscure town might limit your visibility. A better strategy is to set your location to the major city or market that’s most relevant to your industry or client base.

• If you’re a US-based remote software engineer, setting your location to the “San Francisco Bay Area” or “Austin, Texas” can put you in front of more tech recruiters.
• If you're a freelance marketing consultant targeting London-based companies, it makes sense to list “London, England” as your location.

Again, use your headline to add clarity. A headline like “Senior Content Strategist | SaaS &, B2B | Remote (Based in EST)” provides all the necessary context at a glance.

For Consultants and Freelancers Who Serve Specific Areas

If you serve specific multiple regional markets, your primary location should still be a strategic choice. Set your core profile location to your largest or most important market. Then, use your "About" section, services page (if you have one), and content to clearly state all the areas you serve. Mentioning geo-specific keywords and case studies in your experience descriptions can also help you grow your brand in searches relevant to those secondary markets.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While changing your location is a great tool, using it thoughtlessly can cause problems. Keep these common missteps in mind.

Misleading Recruiters and Employers

Never claim to be somewhere you aren't with no intention of moving. If a recruiter messages you about an in-person interview for tomorrow and you’re actually across the country, the conversation ends there. Honesty is the best policy. Be upfront about your relocation timeline if you're not already in the city you’ve listed.

Changing Your Location Too Often

Flipping your location between New York, a month later Los Angeles, and a month after Chicago might look erratic or untrustworthy to your network and potentially the algorithm. Settle on a clear strategy for your location and stick to it for a reasonable period. Constant changes can dilute your professional brand.

Forgetting the Bigger Picture

Don’t change your location in a vacuum. Your updated location should align with the story you’re telling on the rest of your profile. If you change your location to a new city, maybe join a few professional groups based there. Start following companies located there. Engage with content creators from that region. These added signals reinforce your stated intent and show that you're genuinely focused on that professional ecosystem.

Updating your LinkedIn location is a simple action with significant ripple effects across your professional life. It influences your visibility in searches, shapes your network, and signals your career ambitions. By understanding how to change both your profile location and job-seeking preferences, you can strategically position yourself for the opportunities that best match your goals.

Once your profile is perfectly tuned for your ideal location and industry, building a consistent presence on the platform becomes the next big step. For many of us managing our brand, creating and scheduling content across LinkedIn and other platforms can feel like a full-time job. At Postbase, we built a modern social media management tool that makes it easy to plan and publish content so you can focus on building relationships - not fighting with spreadsheets or clunky scheduling tools.