What typing speed do you need for data entry and live chat jobs?

Remote data entry and live chat jobs measure typing in different ways, and the employer's test matters more than any single published number. The data entry figure we found is counted in keystrokes per hour. Live chat advice describes a words-per-minute skill with minimal errors. We did not find an official speed bar for either role in the US or the UK, so this page gives the figures that are published, the vendor advice, and the questions to ask before you practice.

Data entry is judged on keystrokes and accuracy

The US Department of Labor's profile for data entry keyers lists locating and correcting data entry errors, or reporting them to supervisors, as the first of the core tasks ¹. Accuracy is part of the job itself. A speed figure tells you how fast the work is done, and the error check tells you whether it can be used.

For a speed benchmark, a Western Australian training module set the competency for a data entry operator at 10,000 keystrokes per hour ². At five keystrokes per word, that is about 33 words per minute ³. The module was approved in 1994 ², so read it as a training benchmark, not as a current hiring rule.

Live chat is judged on speed and accuracy, and the figure is vendor advice

LiveChat, which sells live chat software, says live chat agents need to type 60 to 90 words per minute with minimal errors ⁴. That is a vendor's expectation, not an employer's hiring rule, and its article gives no study behind the figure. Treat it as a sign of what a busy chat desk may expect, not as a pass mark.

For context, in a study of 136 million keystrokes from an online typing test, the average participant typed 51.56 words per minute ⁵. A chat role that asks for 60 to 90 would be above that average, so the employer's test is the thing to check. The one remote live chat posting we could open did not state a typing speed, so we cannot say what a typical chat posting asks.

Typists work from drafts and voice recordings

The US Department of Labor defines the work of word processors and typists as typing letters, reports, forms or other material from a rough draft, corrected copy, or voice recording ⁶. That is closer to transcription than to chat. If the remote role works from audio, ask whether the test uses audio too, and practice with the kind of recording you would hear on the job. Our guide to typing speed requirements for jobs covers transcription and shorthand roles.

It depends on the role

• Data entry: the unit is keystrokes per hour, and the error rule decides whether a fast result counts. Our typing accuracy entry explains how errors are counted.
• Live chat: the unit is words per minute, and the figure in the published advice is 60 to 90 ⁴. Confirm the bar with the employer, because the only figure we found comes from a vendor.
• Transcription from audio: the test may use recordings, so the speed that matters is the speed at which you can type what you hear.
• United Kingdom: we did not find an official UK threshold for remote data entry or chat roles, so this page gives none.

What to do before you apply

1. Ask for the test. Find out the sample length, whether it measures words or keystrokes, the error limit, and whether the score is gross or net.
2. Practice on that measure. For data entry, train in keystrokes per hour. For chat, train in words per minute with the errors counted.
3. Track accuracy as well as speed. A faster result with more errors may fail the employer's rule.
4. Be wary of paid tests. The Federal Trade Commission says that if someone asks you to pay to get a job, that is a scam ⁷. Practice on free or independent tests, and do not pay a fee to be considered.

For the published government bars, see typing speed for government jobs. For how to show a typing score on your resume, see whether to put typing speed on a resume. The question on the SSC CGL typing test covers an Indian exam that measures key depressions. Our overview of typing speed explains the subject, and our guide to touch typing covers the technique that most fast typists use.