Typing Speed Chart: WPM Percentiles and Levels
Real percentiles from published test data, skill-level bands, profession benchmarks, and the conversions between WPM, CPM, and KPH. One page, every chart you need.
The chart in one line
Net WPM from TypingTest.now's published dataset of 100,079 tests. Find your own number on that scale and every other table on this page becomes readable.
WPM percentile chart
The most useful chart is a percentile table built from real tests, not rounded guesses. The percentiles below come from TypingTest.now's published dataset of 100,079 tests, measured in net WPM:
| Percentile | Net WPM | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 50th (median) | 39 | The typical test taker; matches the ~40 WPM adult average |
| 75th | 51 | Faster than 3 in 4 test takers |
| 90th | 69 | Top 10%; typing no longer limits your work |
| 95th | 83 | Top 5%; genuinely fast |
| 99th | 105 | Top 1%; elite territory |
The peer-reviewed picture agrees. The Dhakal et al. CHI 2018 study of 136 million keystrokes from 168,960 typists found a mean of 51.56 WPM with a standard deviation of 20.2, and it defines fast typists as its top 10%, above roughly 78 WPM.
Typing skill levels
These bands are typical ranges used across the typing community rather than research categories, but they map cleanly onto the percentile data above:
| Level | WPM range | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Under 20 | Hunt-and-peck, eyes on the keyboard |
| Casual | 20-40 | Partial technique, some looking down |
| Average | 40-60 | Around the adult average, functional everywhere |
| Good | 60-80 | Top quarter of test takers, clears any job bar |
| Fast | 80-100 | Top 5%, transcription-grade speed |
| Elite | 100+ | Top 1-2%, competitive typing range starts here |
Typing speed by profession
Professional benchmarks are industry-reported figures, not peer-reviewed research, so treat them as typical ranges:
| Role | Typical speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General office / admin | 50-60 WPM | Job ads often ask 40-65 WPM with 90%+ accuracy |
| Programmer | 50-55 WPM | Rarely screened; thinking dominates typing |
| Data entry | 8,000-12,000 KPH | Measured in keystrokes per hour, 98% accuracy standard |
| Transcriptionist | 75-100 WPM | Medical transcription requires at least 65 WPM |
| Competitive typist | 120-160 WPM | Fastest verified racers average ~220 WPM in bursts |
Preparing for an employment test? They usually run 3 to 5 minutes, and sustained scores read 8 to 15 WPM below a sprint, so practice with the 5 minute typing test rather than the 1 minute version.
WPM, CPM, and KPH conversions
All typing metrics build on the same convention: a word is 5 characters, spaces included. That gives two exact conversions: CPM = WPM x 5 and KPH = WPM x 300. A 50 WPM typist produces 250 characters per minute, or 15,000 keystrokes per hour of continuous typing. Going the other way, the 8,000 to 10,000 KPH asked of data entry clerks equals roughly 27 to 33 WPM of sustained input, and 12,000 KPH equals 40 WPM. Note that real KPH requirements assume steady output across a long session, which is harder than a short WPM test.
Reading the chart honestly
Two caveats make every number above more useful. First, speed without accuracy is meaningless: hold 95%+ accuracy before chasing the next band, because uncorrected errors subtract directly from net WPM. Second, your score varies with test length and text difficulty, so compare like with like and track your trend on your stats page. For context on how these numbers shift across a lifetime, see average WPM by age, and if you want to climb a band, the free touch typing course is the structured way up.
Which row are you in?
A chart is only useful once you have a number to put on it, so start with one run.
Related charts and tools
- What is a good WPM A verdict for each score, band by band
- Average typing speed The 40 WPM figure and the research behind it
- Average WPM by age How the same percentiles look across a lifetime
- 1 minute typing test Get the number you need to read this chart
- Typing metrics explained Net WPM, gross WPM, CPM, and consistency
- Your typing stats Track the trend instead of a single run
Questions people ask
What typing speed percentile am I in?
Compare your net WPM to the TypingTest.now published dataset of 100,079 tests: 39 WPM is the median, 51 is the 75th percentile, 69 is the 90th, 83 is the 95th, and 105 is the 99th. Take a 1 minute test to get your number first.
What percentage of people type over 60 WPM?
About one in six. In the TypingTest.now 100,079-test dataset, 16% of tests reached 60 WPM, which puts 60 WPM near the 84th percentile. Among the faster, self-selected typists in the Dhakal et al. CHI 2018 sample (mean 51.56 WPM, SD 20.2) the share is closer to a third, and in the general population, which averages about 40 WPM, it is smaller still.
How many WPM is considered fast?
80 WPM and above. The Dhakal et al. CHI 2018 study defines fast typists as its top 10%, above about 78 WPM, among self-selected online testers; the 95th percentile of the TypingTest.now dataset sits at 83 net WPM. See what is a good WPM for score-by-score verdicts.
How do I convert WPM to CPM or KPH?
CPM = WPM x 5 and KPH = WPM x 300, using the standard 5-character word. So 60 WPM equals 300 CPM or 18,000 KPH of sustained typing. Data entry jobs typically quote KPH, with 8,000 to 12,000 KPH as the working range.
What is the average typing speed by profession?
Office professionals typically type 50 to 60 WPM, programmers around 50 to 55, and transcriptionists 75 to 100 WPM. These are industry-reported figures. Data entry roles are measured in KPH instead, usually 8,000 to 12,000.