What Is a Good Typing Speed in 2025?
Wondering what counts as a good typing speed? This guide breaks down WPM benchmarks by skill level and profession to help you understand where you stand.
One of the most common questions we get is: what is a good typing speed? The answer depends on your context — a casual user, a student, and a professional programmer all have different benchmarks.
Average Typing Speeds
The average typing speed for adults is around 40 WPM (words per minute). However, this number varies significantly based on age, experience, and how often you use a keyboard.
- Beginners: 15-30 WPM
- Average users: 35-50 WPM
- Above average: 50-70 WPM
- Fast typists: 70-90 WPM
- Professional: 90-120 WPM
- Competitive: 120+ WPM
By Profession
Different jobs have different typing speed requirements:
- Data entry: 60-80 WPM recommended
- Administrative work: 50-65 WPM
- Programming: 50-70 WPM (accuracy matters more than raw speed)
- Journalism: 65-85 WPM
- Transcription: 80-100 WPM
- Court reporting: 200+ WPM (using stenotype machines)
How to Measure Your Speed
The most reliable way to measure your typing speed is to take a standardized typing test. Our free online test calculates your WPM, accuracy, error count, and keystrokes per second across multiple test durations and content types.
Key Takeaway
For most people, achieving 50-60 WPM with 95%+ accuracy is a practical and achievable goal. Beyond that, every additional WPM is a bonus that makes your daily work faster and more efficient.