Average Typing Speed by Age: Where Do You Stack Up?

People always want a number. "Is 45 WPM good?" "Should my kid be typing faster?" The honest answer depends on your age, how you learned, and whether you actually use proper technique. Here are the real benchmarks, not inflated ones from people bragging online.

Kids (Ages 8-12): 15-25 WPM

Most elementary school kids type between 15 and 25 words per minute. That's perfectly normal. Their hands are still growing, and many haven't had formal typing instruction yet. A 10-year-old hitting 20 WPM with decent accuracy is doing just fine. Some kids who've practiced with typing games might reach 30 WPM, but that's above average for this age group.

Teenagers (Ages 13-17): 30-45 WPM

This is where typing speed really starts to develop. Teens are writing essays, chatting with friends, and spending more time at a keyboard. The average falls around 35-40 WPM. Teens who've taken a typing class or play a lot of online games tend to sit closer to 45 WPM. A few naturally fast teens push past 50, but they're the exception.

Adults (Ages 18-60): 40-60 WPM

The average adult types around 40 words per minute. That number comes up in study after study. If you're hitting 40 WPM, you're right in the middle of the pack. Adults who type daily for work tend to land between 50 and 60 WPM. Getting above 60 puts you faster than roughly 80% of the general population.

Professionals and Power Users: 65-90 WPM

Writers, programmers, data entry specialists, and administrative professionals often type between 65 and 90 WPM. These are people who spend 6+ hours a day at a keyboard. At 75 WPM, you're fast enough that typing never slows your thinking. Above 90 WPM, you're in the top 5% of typists.

Hunt-and-Peck vs. Touch Typing

Here's the biggest factor in typing speed, and it's not age. Hunt-and-peck typists, the ones who look at the keyboard and use two to four fingers, average about 27 WPM. Touch typists who use all ten fingers and keep their eyes on the screen average 50 to 80 WPM. That's nearly triple the speed, regardless of age.

Some hunt-and-peck typists get surprisingly fast, hitting 40 or even 50 WPM. But they almost always plateau there. Touch typists have a much higher ceiling because the technique scales better.

What Actually Affects Your Speed

Technique matters most. Touch typing beats hunt-and-peck every time at the upper ranges.
Practice frequency. Someone who types 4 hours a day will be faster than someone who types 30 minutes a week, no matter their age.
Familiarity with the text. You'll type common English words faster than technical jargon or unfamiliar vocabulary.
Keyboard quality. A decent mechanical or membrane keyboard with good key travel helps. Typing on a tablet screen will slow anyone down.
Physical factors. Hand size, finger dexterity, and any repetitive strain issues all play a role.

Does Age Slow You Down?

Not as much as you'd think. Research shows that typing speed stays relatively stable from your 20s through your 50s, assuming you keep typing regularly. There's a slight decline after 60, but it's modest, maybe 5-10 WPM. The bigger factor is whether you stay in practice. A 55-year-old who types daily will outpace a 25-year-old who barely uses a computer.

How to Test Yourself

Take a one-minute typing test with standard English text. Do it three times and average the results, because your first attempt is usually a little shaky from nerves. Don't cherry-pick your best score. Your average is what matters for real-world typing. Pay attention to accuracy too. A 55 WPM score with 97% accuracy is far more useful than 65 WPM with 88% accuracy, because all those errors cost you time fixing them.

Where You Should Aim

For most people, 50-60 WPM with 95%+ accuracy is the sweet spot. That's fast enough that typing doesn't bottleneck your work. You can write emails, take notes, and chat without feeling like your fingers are holding you back. If your job involves heavy typing, push for 70+. Beyond that, you're in diminishing returns territory unless you're going for competitive typing or just enjoy the challenge.

Published March 2026