Average Typing Speed: How Fast Should You Type? (2026 Guide)
April 2026 · 10 min read
Quick Answer
The average typing speed is 40 WPM for casual typists. Professional typists average 65-75 WPM. Above 80 WPM is fast. Above 100 WPM is excellent. Touch typing with all 10 fingers is the fastest path to improving speed.
Typing Speed Benchmarks by Profession
| Profession | Average WPM | Required WPM |
|---|---|---|
| General office worker | 40-50 WPM | 30-40 WPM |
| Administrative assistant | 50-80 WPM | 60+ WPM |
| Data entry clerk | 60-80 WPM | 60+ WPM |
| Court reporter | 180-225 WPM | 180+ WPM |
| Programmer | 50-70 WPM | 40+ WPM |
| Journalist | 60-80 WPM | 50+ WPM |
| Writer / Author | 50-80 WPM | No minimum |
| Transcriptionist | 70-100 WPM | 70+ WPM |
| Customer service | 40-60 WPM | 35+ WPM |
| Legal secretary | 60-80 WPM | 55+ WPM |
Typing Speed Visualization
Most people type between 30-50 WPM, with 40-50 WPM being the most common range. Only about 6% of typists exceed 80 WPM. If you type faster than 60 WPM, you are already above average. The distribution shows that even small improvements of 10-20 WPM can move you significantly ahead of the majority.
How Typing Speed Affects Productivity
The difference between 40 WPM and 80 WPM is enormous over a career. If you type for 2 hours daily, a 40 WPM typist produces 4,800 words while an 80 WPM typist produces 9,600 words — double the output in the same time. Over a year, that equals approximately 1.2 million extra words.
Typing speed also affects creative flow. When fingers cannot keep up with thoughts, ideas get lost. Writers who type 70+ WPM report fewer creative blocks because the mechanical act of typing does not interrupt their thinking process. The keyboard becomes invisible.
The fastest path to improvement is learning proper touch typing technique: all 10 fingers, home row position (ASDF JKL;), and never looking at the keyboard. Practice 15-20 minutes daily with typing exercises that focus on accuracy first, then speed. Accuracy builds speed; speed without accuracy creates bad habits.
Measure Your Typing Output
Count words in your typed documents to track daily productivity.
Open Word Counter →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good typing speed?
40 WPM is average. 60 WPM is above average and sufficient for most jobs. 80+ WPM is fast and impressive. 100+ WPM is excellent and competitive. For data entry jobs, 60-80 WPM is typically required.
How fast do professional typists type?
Professional typists average 65-75 WPM. Court reporters type 180-225 WPM using stenography. Competitive typists exceed 150 WPM on standard keyboards.
What is the world record typing speed?
The world typing speed record on a standard keyboard is 216 WPM, set by Sean Wrona. For sustained typing, records of 150+ WPM are verified.
Does keyboard layout affect typing speed?
QWERTY is used by most fast typists because of extensive practice. Dvorak and Colemak layouts may offer 5-10% speed improvement after months of adaptation, but QWERTY proficiency is more practical.
How long does it take to learn touch typing?
Functional touch typing (40-50 WPM) takes 20-40 hours of practice. Reaching 60-80 WPM takes 3-6 months of daily 15-20 minute practice sessions.
Does typing speed matter for programming?
Typing speed matters less than thinking speed for programming. However, 60+ WPM reduces friction and helps maintain flow state. IDE shortcuts and code completion multiply effective speed beyond raw WPM.