Is 95 WPM Good?
95 WPM
Very fast. Faster than about 98% of typists.
Absolutely. 95 WPM is very fast, faster than about 98% of typists. You could work as a transcriptionist, and typing is never what slows you down.
Think you can beat 95 WPM?
What 95 WPM looks like in real life
| Characters per minute | 475 |
| Keystrokes per hour | 28,500 |
| A 150 word email | 1.6 minutes |
| A one page letter (500 words) | 5.3 minutes |
| A 2,000 word essay | 21.1 minutes |
| A 50,000 word novel draft | 8 h 46 min |
Pure typing time at a steady pace, not counting thinking and editing.
Jobs where 95 WPM is enough
- ✅ General office, receptionist (often 35+ WPM)
- ✅ Customer service and live chat (often 40+ WPM)
- ✅ Administrative assistant (often 45+ WPM)
- ✅ Executive assistant (often 50+ WPM)
- ✅ Legal and medical secretary (often 60+ WPM)
- ✅ Transcriptionist (often 65+ WPM)
- ✅ Fast-turnaround transcription and captioning (keyboard) (often 80+ WPM)
How 95 WPM compares
| Speed | Level | Faster than |
|---|---|---|
| 0–24 WPM | Beginner | 0–10% |
| 25–39 WPM | Developing | 12–47% |
| 40–54 WPM | Average | 50–77% |
| 55–69 WPM | Above average | 79–91% |
| 70–89 WPM | Fast | 92–98% |
| 90–109 WPM | Very fast | 98–99.4% |
| 110–129 WPM | Expert | 99.4–99.8% |
| 130+ WPM | Elite | 99.8–99.9% |
Percentiles are estimates based on published averages for adult typists (about 40 WPM on a keyboard). See the research.
How to get from 95 to 105 WPM
At this level, gains come from rhythm and reading ahead. Keep your eyes two or three words ahead and practice difficult letter pairs. Read the full guide on how to type faster.
← Is 90 WPM good? · Is 100 WPM good? →
Frequently asked questions
Is 95 WPM good?
Absolutely. 95 WPM is very fast, faster than about 98% of typists. You could work as a transcriptionist, and typing is never what slows you down.
How many characters per minute is 95 WPM?
95 WPM is 475 characters per minute, because one word is counted as five characters.
How many keystrokes per hour is 95 WPM?
About 28,500 keystrokes per hour, before counting backspaces and corrections.
How long does it take to type 1,000 words at 95 WPM?
About 10.5 minutes of continuous typing.