Good WPM by goal
| Goal | Target WPM |
|---|---|
| Casual / personal use | 40+ |
| Most office jobs | 50–60+ |
| Data entry / admin | 60–70+ |
| Transcription | 75–90+ |
| Competitive typing | 100+ |
Why 60 WPM is the sweet spot
At 60 WPM you type roughly as fast as you think for most everyday writing, so the keyboard stops being the bottleneck. That's why many employers list 50–60 WPM as a baseline. Getting from 40 to 60 mostly means learning to touch type — keeping your eyes on the screen, not the keys.
Accuracy is half the score
A "good" WPM assumes you're accurate. A net WPM counts errors against you, so 70 WPM at 90% accuracy can score lower than 60 WPM at 99%. Build accuracy first; speed follows naturally once the motor patterns are automatic.
Frequently asked questions
Is 60 WPM good?
Yes — 60 WPM is solidly above the 40 WPM average and meets most job requirements.
What WPM do you need for a job?
Most office roles want 50–60 WPM; data entry and transcription want 60–90+.
Is 100 WPM possible?
Yes, but it's competitive-level. It takes consistent touch-typing practice to get there.