What is the average typing speed?

The average typing speed is around 40 words per minute (WPM). Most people fall between 35 and 45 WPM, while trained professionals type at 65-75 WPM or faster.

What is a good typing speed for a job?

Most office and admin roles expect 45-60 WPM. Data entry and chat support roles typically expect 50-70 WPM, and transcription work expects 65-80 WPM.

Yes. Sustained 100 WPM with high accuracy places you well above the everyday average of about 40 WPM and in the range of competitive typists.

What is the fastest typing speed ever recorded?

Barbara Blackburn was documented by Guinness World Records typing at up to 212 WPM on a Dvorak simplified keyboard.

Average Typing Speed by Age & Profession

The average typing speed is around 40 words per minute (WPM). Most people type between 35 and 45 WPM, office professionals average 50–60 WPM, and trained typists work at 65–75 WPM or faster. Anything above 80 WPM puts you in the top tier of everyday typists.

Typical Typing Speed by Age Group

Typing speed climbs through school years as motor skills and keyboard exposure grow, peaks in working adulthood, and stays stable with regular use. These are typical ranges seen across online typing tests:

Age group	Typical WPM	Notes
Ages 6–11	15–25	Still building letter recognition and finger placement
Ages 12–16	30–40	Touch typing usually clicks in this window
Ages 17–24	40–55	Peak learning years; fastest average gains
Ages 25–54	40–60	Depends heavily on daily keyboard use
Ages 55+	30–45	Experience offsets slower motor response

Typing Speed Requirements by Profession

Role	Expected WPM
General office / admin	45–60
Data entry	50–70
Customer support (chat)	55–70
Transcriptionist	65–80
Programmer / writer	50–70 (accuracy matters more)
Court reporter (stenotype)	180–225 — NCRA certification standard, on a stenotype machine

What Counts as Fast?

Sustained 80+ WPM with 97%+ accuracy is fast by any practical standard. Competitive typists sustain 120–160 WPM in short bursts. The fastest typist on record, Barbara Blackburn, was documented by Guinness World Records at up to 212 WPM on a Dvorak keyboard.

Speed without accuracy is a false economy: every error costs more time to correct than a slower, clean keystroke. If your accuracy is under 95%, slow down first — your net WPM will rise.

How Do You Compare?

Take our free 1, 3, or 5-minute typing test to measure your WPM and accuracy. If you want to move up a bracket, our 20 structured lessons and typing games are built for daily 15-minute practice. Most learners gain 10–20 WPM within 4–8 weeks of consistent practice, and you can read the method in our guide on how to improve typing speed.