What Is a Good WPM? Typing Speed Benchmarks by Job

Typing speed requirements by job

These are typical figures from job listings. Requirements differ by employer and country, so always check the specific advert.

Role	Typical requirement	Test to practise
General office / receptionist	35–45 WPM	3 minute test
Administrative assistant	45–60 WPM	5 minute test
Customer service / chat support	40–60 WPM	Paragraph test
Data entry clerk	8,000–10,000 KPH	Data entry test
Accounts / 10 key roles	8,000–12,000+ KPH	10 key test
Transcriptionist	65–80+ WPM	10 minute test
Legal or medical secretary	60–75 WPM	5 minute test

Accuracy matters as much as speed

Employers nearly always pair a WPM target with an accuracy target, usually 90 to 98 percent. A careful 55 WPM at 98 percent is worth more than a sloppy 70 at 88 percent, because every error costs time to find and fix. The speed versus accuracy explainer shows the maths.

Good for your age or situation

Students: 30 to 40 WPM is plenty for homework and exams; university essays go faster at 50 plus.
Programmers: 50 to 70 WPM on prose is common. Code speed is lower because of symbols; try the code typing test.
Phone typing: around 36 WPM is average on a touchscreen (Palin et al., 2019).

Is my exact speed good?

Each speed has its own page with a percentile, the jobs it qualifies for and what it means in real typing time:

Is 20 WPM good?Is 25 WPM good?Is 30 WPM good?Is 35 WPM good?Is 40 WPM good?Is 45 WPM good?Is 50 WPM good?Is 55 WPM good?Is 60 WPM good?Is 65 WPM good?Is 70 WPM good?Is 75 WPM good?Is 80 WPM good?Is 90 WPM good?Is 100 WPM good?Is 110 WPM good?Is 120 WPM good?Is 130 WPM good?Is 140 WPM good?Is 150 WPM good?

Compare yourself with real data on average typing speed, then take the test.

Frequently asked questions

Is 40 WPM a good typing speed?

Yes, 40 WPM is about average for adults and is enough for everyday computer use and many jobs. Office roles often ask for 40 to 50 WPM.

Is 60 WPM good?

60 WPM is clearly above average. It meets the requirement for most administrative and customer service jobs.

Is 100 WPM good?

100 WPM is exceptionally fast and puts you among the top few percent of typists. It is more than any typical job requires.

Is 30 WPM good?

30 WPM is below the adult average of roughly 40 WPM. It is enough for casual use, and learning to touch type usually lifts it noticeably within weeks.

Is 70 or 80 WPM good?

Yes. 70 to 80 WPM is fast, well above the 51.6 WPM average in the largest typing study, and meets the requirement for nearly every typing-heavy job including transcription.

What is the fastest typing speed ever recorded?

Barbara Blackburn was reported in the 1980s and 1990s to sustain around 150 WPM on a Dvorak keyboard with bursts above 200 WPM. In online sprint tests some typists post short bursts above 250 WPM, but these are not formally certified records.