Typing speed by age and job: what WPM should you aim for?

Typing speed is measured in words per minute (WPM), where one "word" is five characters including spaces. Two numbers matter:

• Gross or raw WPM: everything you typed, mistakes included.
• Net WPM: speed after mistakes are removed. This is the number most tests and employers use, so it is the one to aim for.

Accuracy is the share of keystrokes that were correct. A fast score with low accuracy is rarely accepted, so always look at both together.

Children's speeds vary a lot, depending on when they started, how often they practise and whether they learned to touch type. The ranges below are realistic goals for a child who practises regularly with correct technique, not strict standards.

• Ages 6 to 8: 5 to 15 WPM. Focus on the home row, finger placement and not looking at the keys. Accuracy matters far more than speed.
• Ages 9 to 11: 15 to 25 WPM. The whole keyboard, including capitals and basic punctuation.
• Ages 12 to 14: 25 to 35 WPM. Enough to keep up with schoolwork and write without the keyboard getting in the way.
• Ages 15 to 18: 35 to 45 WPM or more. Similar to an average adult, and many students go well beyond.
• Adults: around 40 WPM is typical. 60 WPM or more with 95% accuracy is a strong, job-ready speed.

For younger children, the kids zone uses big letters, finger hints and stickers to build the right habits early. Older students can follow the 29 step lessons.

Typing speed depends far more on practice and technique than on age. Adults who type every day often keep a steady speed for decades, and adults who learn touch typing later in life regularly improve by 20 WPM or more. Reaction time changes slowly with age, but a good rhythm, reading ahead and correct fingering make up for it. In short: it is never too late to get faster.

Requirements vary by employer and country. These are the ranges job listings commonly ask for, usually as net WPM with 90 to 95% accuracy or more.

• General office, admin and receptionist: 40 to 50 WPM.
• Customer support and live chat: 40 to 60 WPM, with good accuracy because messages go straight to customers.
• Data entry: 40 to 60 WPM on text, often with a separate numbers test. Numeric keypad roles are measured in keystrokes per hour (KPH) instead of WPM.
• Executive and personal assistants: 50 to 70 WPM.
• Legal and medical secretaries: 60 to 80 WPM, with high accuracy on specialist terms.
• Transcriptionists and captioners: 60 to 80 WPM or more for general transcription. Live captioning usually needs specialist equipment and training.
• Programmers and writers: rarely tested, but 50 WPM or more helps a lot day to day.

Most employment typing tests share the same format:

• A timed test of 3 or 5 minutes on a short passage, scored as net WPM with an accuracy figure.
• Sometimes a data entry test with names, addresses, numbers and dates.
• For numeric roles, a 10 key test on the number pad, scored in KPH.

You can practise each format here: the typing exam (with a pass mark), the data entry typing test and the 10 key typing test. After a 3 or 5 minute test you can download a typing certificate to show your result.

Most people can add 10 to 20 WPM within a month with short daily practice. The biggest gains come from:

• learning to touch type with all ten fingers instead of looking at the keys;
• keeping accuracy above 95% before pushing for speed;
• drilling the specific keys that slow you down with smart practice;
• practising 15 to 20 minutes every day rather than for hours once a week.

For a full step by step method, read how to type faster: 15 tips that actually work.