The average typing speed is about 40 to 50 words per minute (WPM) with roughly 92% accuracy. 45–60 WPM is good, 60–80 WPM is above average, and only about 1% of people type faster than 100 WPM. Test your own speed below, then compare it with the benchmarks.
The average typing speed is about 40 to 50 words per minute (WPM) with roughly 92% accuracy — that is where most adults land without deliberate practice. A speed of 45–60 WPM is considered good, 60–80 WPM is above average, and only about 1% of people type faster than 100 WPM. The table below shows how typing speeds are usually classified.
| Skill level | Speed (WPM) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Under 30 WPM | Still learning; hunt-and-peck on many keys |
| Below average | 30–45 WPM | Functional but slow; typing takes conscious effort |
| Average | 40–50 WPM | Where most adults land without practice |
| Good / above average | 60–80 WPM | Comfortable; meets most office job requirements |
| Fast | 80–100 WPM | Top ~10% of typists |
| Advanced / elite | 100+ WPM | Top ~1%; only about 1% type over 100 WPM |
Typing speed is shaped more by how long someone has typed daily than by age itself, but it does follow a rough curve: it climbs through the teens, peaks in the late teens to twenties, then eases slightly later in life. These are approximate averages.
| Age group | Average WPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under 13 | 15–30 WPM | Still building muscle memory; wide variance |
| 13–18 | 35–55 WPM | Heavy phone users are often slower than expected |
| 18–30 | 50–65 WPM | Peak learning years; fastest improvement |
| 30–45 | 45–60 WPM | Stable; reflects accumulated work habits |
| 45–60 | 40–55 WPM | Slight drop in raw speed, often higher accuracy |
| 60+ | 30–45 WPM | Motor slowdown; practice still helps |
Different jobs demand very different typing speeds. Roles where typing is the job — data entry, transcription, legal and executive support — expect well above average, while general office work is fine around 40–55 WPM. Accuracy usually matters as much as raw speed.
| Job / role | Typing speed expected | Typical accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| General office work | 40–55 WPM | 95%+ |
| Customer support / chat | 50–65 WPM | 97%+ |
| Administrative assistant | 50–70 WPM | 97%+ |
| Data entry | 60–80 WPM | 98%+ |
| Medical transcription | 65–75 WPM | 98%+ |
| Executive assistant | 70–80 WPM | 98%+ |
| Legal secretary / paralegal | 70–90 WPM | 99%+ |
Benchmarks compiled from occupational typing data published by Wonderlic and TypingTest.now (2025–2026). Actual requirements vary by employer, test length, text and keyboard.
Want your own number? Take the typing speed test, measure it in characters per minute, or see the speeds employers require for jobs.
If you are below the speed you want, the fastest way up is touch typing: use all ten fingers from the home row (ASDF JKL;) without looking at the keyboard. Prioritise accuracy over speed, practise 10–15 minutes a day, and keep your wrists relaxed. Most people add 10–20 WPM within a few weeks of daily practice.
The average typing speed is about 40–50 words per minute (WPM) with roughly 92% accuracy. Most adults who have not practised deliberately settle between 40 and 60 WPM.
A good typing speed is 45–60 WPM. 60–80 WPM is above average and meets most office job requirements, while over 70 WPM is advanced. Only about 1% of people type faster than 100 WPM.
40 WPM is right around the adult average and is fine for everyday computer use. If you are accurate at 40 WPM, 60 WPM is a realistic next target with regular touch-typing practice.
On a normal QWERTY keyboard the fastest typists reach 150+ WPM and records exceed 200 WPM. Court reporters hit 225+ WPM, but on a specialised stenotype machine using shorthand chords, not a standard keyboard.
Typing speed is measured in words per minute (WPM), where one word equals five characters including spaces. Net WPM subtracts errors, so WPM = (correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes.
Touch type with all ten fingers from the home row (ASDF JKL;), prioritise accuracy over speed, and practise 10–15 minutes a day. Speed follows once your accuracy is consistently above 95%.