What is a good typing speed?
The average adult types at roughly 40 words per minute (WPM). Anything above that is better than average, and around 60 to 70 WPM is a strong, comfortable speed for almost any office job.
| Speed | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 30 WPM | Beginner, often still looking at the keys |
| 30–45 WPM | Average for most adults |
| 45–65 WPM | Above average, fine for most jobs |
| 65–90 WPM | Fast, typical of experienced professionals |
| 90+ WPM | Exceptionally fast |
How words per minute is measured
Typing tests don't count actual words, because "a" and "extraordinary" take very different amounts of effort. Instead, every 5 characters typed correctly, including spaces, counts as one word. That makes scores fair whatever words come up, and it's the standard used by employment tests.
What jobs ask for
Requirements vary, but as a rough guide: general admin and reception roles often ask for 40 to 50 WPM, data entry and legal or medical typing often 50 to 70 WPM, and transcription work higher still. Many employers also set a minimum accuracy, commonly 95% or more.
Accuracy first, then speed
Every mistake costs you the time to notice it, delete it and type it again. A typist at 60 WPM with 98% accuracy gets more done than one at 75 WPM with 90% accuracy. Practise at a pace where you rarely make errors, and speed follows.
How to type faster
- Use the home row. Rest your fingers on ASDF and JKL; so each finger has its own keys to cover.
- Stop looking down. It feels slower at first, but looking at the screen is the single biggest step up from hunt-and-peck.
- Practise little and often. Ten to fifteen minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
- Measure it. Take a 60-second test a few times and use your average. Tracking your best score keeps practice motivating.
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