Is 30 words per minute a good typing speed?

Not yet, if you need to pass a typing test. At 30 words per minute (WPM), you are above the slowest tenth of typists, but below the average and below the minimum in the 2024 Delhi notice covered below. It is a workable speed for short messages and occasional typing. It is a starting point to improve on for regular writing. Our guide to good typing speed sets out every level, and the typing speed overview covers the subject as a whole.

Thirty WPM is above the slowest tenth but below the average

In the 2018 online study, the slowest 10 percent of typists were those below about 26 WPM ¹. Thirty is above that line, so it is not in the bottom tenth. The study's average was 51.56 WPM ², and 30 sits about 1.1 standard deviations below it ³. That places 30 below the average, with room to improve.

The distribution of typing speeds is skewed ⁴, so the distance is a guide to how far 30 is from the average, not a percentile rank. The 1999 study shows the same middle ground. Its slow group typed 23 WPM, its average group 35 and its fast group 40 ⁵. Thirty sits between the slow and average groups in that study. The two studies used different texts and different people, so read them as a range.

A 2024 Delhi typing test sets a 35 WPM floor, so 30 falls short

The Delhi Development Authority recruitment notice requires English-medium candidates to reach 35 WPM ⁶. At 30, you would be below that minimum. Some federal tests set a higher bar: a 2026 U.S. Army job announcement requires 40 words per minute with three or fewer errors ⁷. Our government job typing speed question covers more of these. The employer sets the minimum and the scoring rules, so read the notice you are applying to.

What 30 WPM means in your day

Counting five characters to a word, 30 WPM is about 150 characters per minute ⁸. Over an hour of continuous typing, that comes to about 1,800 words ⁹. Measure your own work against that figure to see whether the pace suits the job.

It depends on accuracy, the device and the test

• Accuracy changes the result. A speed with many corrections is worth less. The court reporting skills test sets its floor at 95 percent accuracy on each leg ¹⁰, and this guide uses the same standard. Our typing accuracy entry shows how to count errors.
• The device matters. A phone result is measured against phone averages, not keyboard averages, so compare like with like. Our guide to phone typing speed gives the figures by device.
• The test sets the bar. If you are applying for a role with a typing test, its minimum is the target, whatever the general levels say.

What to do with a 30 WPM result

1. Measure your gross and net speed on five minutes of ordinary text, and note how many words needed correcting. The how typing speed is measured guide explains each figure.
2. Practice accuracy first. Once you are near 95 percent, push for speed. Our how to type faster guide covers methods, and the touch typing guide explains the technique.
3. Set a target. Aim for the minimum in the notice you want, or for 35 WPM if you are not applying anywhere yet.

For the next levels, read is 40 words per minute a good typing speed and is 50 words per minute a good typing speed. A result of 31 WPM is one point above 30, so the same answer applies. To see where you stand against people your age, read the average typing speed by age.