Words per minute (WPM) is the standard measure of typing speed. One "word" in typing tests equals five characters, including spaces.

Knowing where you stand helps set realistic goals—without comparing yourself to competition typists or inflated marketing claims.

What is the average typing speed?

Across broad adult populations, surveys and large typing-test datasets converge around 35–45 WPM for casual computer users, with ~40 WPM often cited as a typical average.

Large-scale online test data tells a slightly different story: an analysis of 168,000+ sessions reported a mean of about 52 WPM, because people who take typing tests skew more practised than the general public (Dhakal et al., 2018).

Lab studies of everyday typists found lower averages—around 33–40 net WPM—when participants typed under controlled conditions (Feit et al., CHI 2016).

Takeaway: if you type near 40 WPM, you are average. Near 55 WPM with good accuracy, you are ahead of most everyday users.

Typing speed tiers

Level	Typical WPM	Notes
Beginner	20–30	Common for new learners
Average adult	35–45	General population
Office worker	45–60	Regular email and docs
Proficient	60–75	Comfortable professional pace
Advanced	75–90+	Heavy writers, some specialists
Competition	100+	Rare; not a useful everyday target

Always pair WPM with accuracy. A fast score full of errors is not productive typing.

Speed by age (approximate)

Children learning to type often start at 10–25 WPM. Teenagers who message daily frequently reach 30–50 WPM with self-taught habits.

Adults who use keyboards regularly commonly land in the 45–65 WPM range. Age matters less than years of practice once someone is a daily computer user.

University-focused research found highly proficient student typists averaging about 80 WPM at 88% accuracy—the top third of a cohort—not the median (Croll et al., 2022).

Speed by profession (typical ranges)

These are illustrative bands, not strict requirements:

• General office / admin: 45–60 WPM
• Customer support / chat: 50–65 WPM
• Programmers (prose): 50–70 WPM; code often slower due to symbols
• Journalists / writers: 60–80 WPM
• Data entry / transcription: 60–80+ WPM with very high accuracy
• Court reporting (stenography): specialised hardware; not comparable to QWERTY

Job postings sometimes list minimums (e.g. 45 or 60 WPM). Treat those as screening tools, not ceilings.

Touch typing vs hunt-and-peck averages

Marketing materials sometimes claim hunt-and-peck typists average 20 WPM and touch typists 60 WPM. Research is more nuanced: skilled hunt-and-peck users can exceed 60 WPM when watching the keyboard, while touch typists average higher with hidden keyboards and in accuracy (Logan, Vanderbilt 2016).

How to measure your speed honestly

1. Use the same test conditions each time (duration, language, keyboard)
2. Run three attempts; record the median, not the best fluke
3. Note accuracy % alongside WPM
4. Retest monthly while training

Test yourself: take our speed test.

Improving from average to proficient

Most learners reach 50–60 WPM in 8–12 weeks of structured practice. Keys to improvement:

• Home row discipline
• Accuracy-first lessons on courses
• Techniques in how to type faster

FAQ

Is 40 WPM slow?

No—it is near the population average. Many people function fine at 40 WPM for light computer use.

What is a good typing speed for a job?

50–60 WPM at 95%+ accuracy satisfies most office roles. Data-heavy roles may want higher.

Do mobile typing scores count?

Mobile averages are much lower (~20–30 WPM). Compare desktop tests only with other desktop tests.

Improve your WPM: start touch typing training today.