What is a good typing speed?
Most adults type around 40 words per minute (WPM). Here is how the ranges break down, what employers usually expect, and how to see where you stand.
Typing speed at a glance
| Level | Typical WPM | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Under 30 | Hunt-and-peck, looking at the keys |
| Average | 35 to 45 | Comfortable everyday typing, some looking down |
| Good | 50 to 65 | Mostly touch typing, steady and fairly accurate |
| Professional | 65 to 80 | Confident touch typing; fast for office work |
| Advanced | 80 to 100 | Fluent, rhythmic, very high accuracy |
| Elite | 100+ | Competitive typists; short tests can exceed 150 |
These bands are commonly used rules of thumb, not strict standards. Your own result depends heavily on the text, the test length and how you count mistakes.
What do employers expect?
Requirements vary by role. Many data entry, administrative and customer-support jobs ask for roughly 40 to 60 WPM with good accuracy, while transcription and some specialist roles expect more. Accuracy usually matters as much as speed, so employers often specify both (for example 50 WPM at 95% accuracy).
What affects your typing speed?
- Technique: touch typing is the biggest factor by far.
- Practice: regular short sessions build speed faster than occasional long ones.
- The text: common words are faster than punctuation, numbers and unusual terms.
- Test length: a 15-second sprint rewards bursts; a 60-second test shows endurance.
- Keyboard and posture: comfort and layout familiarity matter, especially on laptops and phones.
- Mistakes: some tests count net speed after errors, which can be well below your raw speed.
Is 60 WPM good?
Yes. 60 WPM is comfortably above the average of about 40 WPM and is enough for almost any office job. Reaching it is realistic for most people within a few weeks to months of regular practice.
Is 100 WPM fast?
Very. Only a small share of typists sustain 100 WPM or more. It is reachable with excellent technique and consistent practice, but it is a stretch goal, not a requirement.
Find out where you stand
The fastest way to know is to take a test. Try a 30 or 60 second test, a few times, and note your average rather than a single lucky run. If you want to improve afterwards, read how to type faster.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average typing speed?
Around 40 WPM for adults, though results range widely. Students and frequent computer users often type 50 or more.
What is a good typing speed for a job?
For most office roles 40 to 60 WPM with accuracy above 95% is sufficient. Specialist roles may require more.
How is WPM calculated?
Typing tests count every five characters as one word, so 300 correct characters in one minute is 60 WPM. See how WPM is calculated.