Short answer: most adults type somewhere between 30 and 60 words per minute (WPM) on a computer. A nationally representative study of US adults found a median of about 38 WPM. People who choose to take online typing tests tend to be faster, averaging about 52 WPM. Want to know where you land? Take the 1-minute typing test and come back.
Below are the numbers from the biggest studies we could find, broken down by age, grade and job, with a link to every source. One warning before the tables: studies measure typing in different ways. Some use one sentence, some use a full minute, some count errors and some don't. Treat each number as a rough guide, not an exact target.
What the big studies found
| Study | Who was tested | Test | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hernandez et al., Scientific Reports, 2026 | 10,613 US adults in a nationally representative online panel | One sentence ("The quick brown fox…"), adjusted for accuracy | Computer: median 37.8 WPM (middle half 24.1–55.8). Smartphone: median 29.4 WPM |
| Dhakal et al., CHI 2018 (Aalto University and University of Cambridge) | 168,000 volunteers, 68% from the US, average age 24.5 | Copying random sentences on a physical keyboard | Average 51.6 WPM. Most typed 30–60 WPM, and the fastest reached about 120 |
| Schuurman et al., The BMJ, 2022 | 2,690 hospital staff in Amsterdam | 60-second copy test (Dutch text), adjusted for accuracy | Mean 60.1 WPM. People who had taken a typing course were about 12 WPM (more than 20%) faster |
| Palin et al., MobileHCI 2019 | 37,370 volunteers on phones | Copying sentences on a mobile phone | Average 36.2 WPM |
Why do the numbers differ so much? The US panel study reached people who don't type much, while the Aalto test was taken by people who sought out a typing website, and more than 70% of them had taken a typing class (Aalto University). The hospital staff in the BMJ study type notes all day. So "average" depends a lot on who you're comparing yourself with.
Typing speed by age
We couldn't find a large study that publishes average computer typing speeds for each age group. Here's what the research does show.
On phones, the Aalto mobile study reported clear age-group averages:
| Age group | Average speed on a phone |
|---|---|
| Under 10 | 24.3 WPM |
| 10–19 | 39.6 WPM |
| 20–29 | 36.5 WPM |
| 30–39 | 32.2 WPM |
| 40–49 | 28.9 WPM |
| 50–59 | 26.3 WPM |
Source: Palin et al., 2019, Table 4 (all participants).
On computers, the US panel study found a steady drop with age across adults from 18 to 81, on both computers and phones (Hernandez et al., 2026). The Amsterdam hospital study found the same thing: speed fell with every older age decade (Schuurman et al., 2022).
That doesn't mean your fingers are doomed. The BMJ authors point out that the gap is "more likely a result of nurture, rather than nature." Younger people grew up typing, while older people often started on computers later in life. In the same study, a typing course was linked to typing more than 20% faster, and most people who'd taken one did it more than ten years earlier. Practice still pays off at any age.
Typing speed for kids, by grade
Children type a lot more slowly than adults, and the range between kids in the same grade is huge. A 2018 review in the Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention summed up earlier research like this (Donica, Giroux & Faust, 2018):
| Grade | Reported keyboarding speed |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | about 9 WPM on average |
| 2 | about 5 WPM on average |
| 3 | up to about 30 WPM for some students |
| 4 | roughly 7 to 30 WPM |
| 5 | roughly 5 to 70 WPM |
The same review notes that fifth graders who typed 20 WPM kept that level into seventh grade. US Common Core writing standards expect students to type at least one page in a sitting by the end of grade 4, two pages by grade 5 and three by grade 6 (Common Core W.4.6, W.5.6, W.6.6). For tips on helping kids get there, see typing for kids.
Typing speed by job
Most employers set their own requirements, so always check the job posting. These are the published numbers we could verify:
| Job or group | Speed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US federal clerk-typist, office automation clerk/assistant, clerk-stenographer | 40 WPM required | US Office of Personnel Management |
| US federal data transcriber (transcription duties) | 20 WPM (GS-2), 25 WPM (GS-3/4) | US Office of Personnel Management |
| Professionally trained typists, 1970s–80s | typically 60–90 WPM | Aalto University |
| Hospital staff (Amsterdam) | 60.1 WPM average | The BMJ, 2022 |
| US medical residents | 36.3 WPM median | Kalava et al., 2014 |
| Court reporters (NCRA RPR certification) | 225 WPM testimony at 95% accuracy | NCRA |
The OPM page also says federal applicants can show proficiency by passing a performance test, presenting an approved certificate, or self-certifying, and that test results and certificates count for three years. Court reporters reach 225 WPM using a stenotype machine, which types whole syllables and words per stroke, not a regular keyboard. Don't compare your keyboard score with that.
If you're preparing for a job test, practice with the 5-minute typing test. That's closer to what employers use than a 1-minute burst.
So what's a good typing speed?
Here's a practical way to read your score, based on the data above. These bands are our own guide, not an official standard.
| Your speed | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 25 WPM | Beginner. Very common for kids and for adults who rarely type. |
| 25–40 WPM | Around the US adult median (37.8 WPM). Fine for everyday use. |
| 40–55 WPM | Above median, and meets the 40 WPM federal clerical standard. |
| 55–70 WPM | Around the top quarter of US adults (the 75th percentile was 55.8 WPM). |
| 70–90 WPM | Professional-typist territory. |
| 100+ WPM | Rare. On TypeLit, only 1.3% of its 30,000+ users type faster than 100 WPM (TypeLit). |
Accuracy matters as much as speed. Most typing tests, RiteType's included, report net WPM, which means mistakes you leave behind pull your score down. A score of 60 WPM at 85% accuracy is less useful at work than 50 WPM at 98%. Learn how scores are counted in WPM vs CPM.
How to compare yourself fairly
- Use the same test length. 1-minute scores usually run a little higher than 5-minute scores.
- Take three tests and use the middle one. A single run can swing by several WPM.
- Compare like with like. Phone scores, keyboard scores and stenotype scores aren't the same thing.
- Track yourself, not strangers. Your own number going from 32 to 45 WPM over two months matters more than any chart.
Ready to move up a band? Start with our tips on how to type faster, then check your WPM.
Applying for a job that tests typing? See what typing speed jobs actually ask for, with sources, and practice on a typing test for jobs.