What's a Good Typing Speed? Average WPM, Job Benchmarks & Context

Typing speed used to be a secretarial skill. Now it's universal — we all type for work, school, texting, and gaming. But what counts as a good typing speed? Where do you rank? And is it worth trying to get faster? Here's the data.

Average typing speeds

The study's participants volunteered to take an online typing test, so treat these as figures for people who take typing tests, not a national average.

What's "good enough" for work?

• 40+ wpm: the U.S. federal requirement for clerk-typist and office automation jobs, measured on a 5-minute sample with three or fewer errors
• Above 40 wpm: transcription, captioning and data-entry roles often ask for more; the job posting will say how much and how it's tested
• About 78+ wpm: the fastest 10% of typists in the Dhakal study — typing is rarely the bottleneck

Most knowledge workers' productivity isn't limited by typing speed but by thinking speed. Beyond ~70 wpm, further gains have diminishing returns.

WPM vs accuracy

Raw WPM is misleading without accuracy. Most tests use Net WPM:

Net WPM = Gross WPM − (Uncorrected errors ÷ Minutes)

Example: 70 words typed in 1 minute, 5 uncorrected errors = 65 net WPM. Fast typing with lots of errors produces little net work — the corrections eat the speed gain.

Aim for 97%+ accuracy. Below that, slow down.

Profession-specific factors

Programmers

Code is usually slower to type than prose because of:

• Special characters: { } [ ] () $ # requires Shift key
• Syntax mistakes penalize harder than prose typos
• Thinking time between keystrokes

A lower WPM on code than on prose is perfectly normal.

Writers and journalists

Composition speed ≠ typing speed. Writers who type 80 wpm might produce only 30 wpm of original prose because the bottleneck is thinking, not finger speed. For transcription (typing what you hear), raw WPM matters more.

Customer service

Call-center reps need to type fast enough to keep pace with conversation, and many employers test typing during hiring. Accuracy is weighted heavily because customer-facing communication should be error-free.

Data entry

Numeric data entry speed measures in keystrokes per hour (KPH), not WPM. Employers set their own KPH targets, so check the job posting.

How to improve typing speed

1. Use more fingers. In the Dhakal study, the number of fingers typists reported using predicted their speed, while having taken a typing course added only about 5 wpm on average. Formal touch typing is one good way to use all ten fingers, but it isn't the only route to speed.
2. Learn proper home row position. Left fingers on ASDF, right on JKL;, thumbs on space.
3. Practice consistently. Short daily sessions add up, though how fast you improve varies from person to person.
4. Free tools: TypingClub, Keybr, MonkeyType, Typing.com — all free and well-designed.
5. Focus on accuracy first, speed follows. Repeat exercises until you can type them at 97%+ accuracy, then push speed.
6. Keyboard ergonomics: a mechanical keyboard with tactile feedback reduces fatigue on long sessions.
7. Don't look at your hands. Hardest habit to break but essential — every glance down breaks your rhythm.

Online typing tests

Most popular tests:

• TypingTest.com: 1, 3, or 5 minute tests
• 10FastFingers: 1-minute random word test (easier — no sentences)
• MonkeyType: modern design, customizable duration, good for practice
• TypeRacer: competitive, race against other users in real time
• Keybr: targets your weak letters based on error patterns

Scores vary between tests. 10FastFingers will show higher numbers than TypingTest because 10ff uses random common words (no punctuation). Use the same site for comparisons.

Mobile typing

Phone typing is slower. In a study of 37,370 volunteers (Palin et al., 2019), the average was about 36 wpm, three in four participants typed below 44 wpm, and the fastest reached over 80 wpm. Earlier touch-typing training on desktop keyboards didn't predict mobile speed, so it's largely a separate skill.

WPM conversion

Sometimes you need to convert characters per minute to WPM. Standard: 1 word = 5 characters (including space). So:

• 350 CPM = 70 WPM
• 250 CPM = 50 WPM

Job applications

Many jobs list typing speed requirements. Some benchmarks:

• U.S. federal clerk-typist and office automation jobs: 40 wpm on a 5-minute sample with three or fewer errors
• Transcription and data-entry jobs: often higher, set by each employer (data entry is usually measured in KPH)
• Court reporter: 225 wpm on the testimony leg of the RPR certification test, at 95% accuracy (stenotype, not a standard keyboard)

Why typing speed matters (and when it doesn't)

The productivity value of typing faster depends on your role:

• Customer service rep: faster, accurate typing can shorten each contact, which adds up across many calls
• Writer or analyst: your bottleneck is usually thinking, not finger speed. Beyond 60-70 wpm, return diminishes fast.
• Student: note-taking speed directly affects comprehension. 50+ wpm lets you listen and type simultaneously.
• Developer: code typing is fundamentally different — most of your time is thinking, reading, and navigating, not keystrokes. Pushing WPM above 60 rarely shows up in commits.

When accuracy matters more than speed

In some contexts, even a single typo is costly:

• Email to executives — typos in subject lines or opening paragraphs damage credibility
• Legal documents — transpositions can change contract meaning
• Medical/pharmacy — dose errors from typos have killed patients
• Financial transactions — wire transfers rarely have undo

In these contexts, slow down to 80% of your max WPM and prioritize verification. "Measure twice, cut once" applies to keyboards too.

Test and improve

Use our typing speed calculator to turn the results of a timed test (words or characters typed, minutes and uncorrected errors) into gross WPM, net WPM and accuracy.

Sources

• Dhakal, Feit, Kristensson and Oulasvirta — Observations on Typing from 136 Million Keystrokes (CHI 2018)
• Palin, Feit, Kim, Kristensson and Oulasvirta — How do People Type on Mobile Devices? Observations from a Study with 37,000 Volunteers (MobileHCI 2019)
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management — General Schedule Qualification Standards
• National Court Reporters Association — Registered Professional Reporter