The Global Average: 40–52 WPM

Across all age groups and demographics, the global average typing speed sits between 40 and 52 WPM (words per minute), with an average accuracy of approximately 92%. However, this number tells only part of the story β€” typing speed varies dramatically by age, profession, and how much practice you've had.

To put these numbers in perspective: this paragraph contains about 60 words. At 40 WPM, it would take 1.5 minutes to type. At 80 WPM, it takes 45 seconds. That's the difference between "functional" and "fast."

Average Typing Speed by Age Group

Typing speed follows a predictable lifecycle pattern. Here's what the data shows:

Age Group Average WPM Accuracy Notes
Children (6–11) 5–20 WPM 80–85% Learning letter positions, developing motor skills
Teens (12–17) 35–60 WPM 88–92% Rapid improvement phase; digital natives adapt quickly
Young Adults (18–30) 45–80 WPM 92–96% Peak speed potential; regular computer use drives growth
Adults (31–50) 40–65 WPM 93–97% Speed stabilizes; accuracy typically improves with experience
Seniors (51–65) 35–55 WPM 94–97% Slight speed decline; highest accuracy group
Elderly (65+) 25–45 WPM 90–95% Motor skill changes; precision remains strong
πŸ’‘ Key Insight: While raw speed peaks in the 18–30 range, accuracy actually increases with age. Older typists make fewer errors per minute, which means their "effective" WPM is often closer to younger typists than the raw numbers suggest.

Average Typing Speed by Profession

Your job has a massive impact on your typing speed β€” both as a requirement and a natural consequence of daily practice:

Profession Average WPM Min. Required Accuracy
βš–οΈ Legal Professionals 60.6 WPM 60 WPM 97%+
πŸŽ™οΈ Transcriptionists 75–100 WPM 65 WPM 98%+
πŸ“ Data Entry 65–80 WPM 60 WPM 97%+
✍️ Writers / Journalists 60–90 WPM 50 WPM 95%+
πŸ’» Software Developers 50–70 WPM 40 WPM 95%+
πŸ“ž Customer Support 60–80 WPM 55 WPM 95%+
🏒 Office Workers 45–60 WPM 40 WPM 93%+
πŸ₯ Medical Scribes 50–70 WPM 45 WPM 98%+
🏭 Manufacturing 46 WPM 35 WPM 90%+

The legal industry consistently ranks highest, with the average legal professional typing 60.6 WPM β€” driven by the constant need for documentation, briefs, and correspondence.

Where Do You Rank? The WPM Percentile Chart

How does your speed stack up against everyone else? Here's the percentile breakdown:

WPM Range Percentile Classification
0–25 WPM Bottom 10% Beginner / Hunt-and-peck
25–40 WPM 25th Percentile Below Average
40–52 WPM 50th Percentile Average
52–65 WPM 75th Percentile Above Average
65–80 WPM 90th Percentile Fast
80–100 WPM 95th Percentile Very Fast
100–120 WPM 99th Percentile Professional
120+ WPM Top 0.1% Elite / Competitive
πŸ’š Check your rank: Take a free typing test and your results will include a percentile ranking against thousands of other typists.

Speed vs. Accuracy: What Really Matters?

A common myth is that faster = better. In reality, accuracy matters more than raw speed for productivity. Here's why:

  • Typing 60 WPM with 95% accuracy = 57 effective WPM (3 errors/minute, ~2 sec to fix each)
  • Typing 80 WPM with 85% accuracy = 56 effective WPM (12 errors/minute, corrections eat all gains)
  • The "faster" typist produces less usable text per minute

The sweet spot? 95%+ accuracy at whatever speed you can manage. Then gradually push speed upward while maintaining that accuracy floor.

How to Increase Your Typing Speed

Regardless of where you currently rank, improvement is always possible:

  1. Learn touch typing β€” If you're still looking at the keyboard, read our 14-day touch typing plan
  2. Practice daily β€” 10–15 minutes of focused typing practice every day beats marathon sessions
  3. Focus on accuracy first β€” Speed follows naturally once correct muscle memory is built
  4. Use varied content β€” Switch between Words, Quotes, and Code modes in our typing test
  5. Review your weak spots β€” Use the keyboard heatmap to identify problem keys
  6. Invest in ergonomics β€” Proper posture and keyboard choice remove physical barriers to speed

πŸ“Œ Key Takeaway

The average adult types 40–52 WPM. If you're above 60 WPM with 95%+ accuracy, you're faster than 75% of all typists. Focus on accuracy first β€” speed always follows.

Find Out Your WPM

Take a quick typing test to see exactly where you rank β€” it's free and takes less than a minute.

⌨️ Start Typing Test πŸ“Š View Full Guide
πŸ“Š

TypingSpeedTest.co Editorial Team

Data-driven typing insights backed by research from over 10 million typing tests.

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