Reaction Time Percentiles: Where You Rank
Where does your reaction time actually rank? Here is the full percentile curve for an online click test: the share of people you beat at each millisecond, built on published median of 81 million-plus recorded clicks and read honestly, after device lag.
Updated 2026 · sources listed below
A 273 ms reaction time is the 50th percentile online: dead average. Under 250 ms puts you in roughly the top third, under 200 ms in the top ~10%, and under 180 ms in the top 1–2%. These are for a browser click test; on lab hardware the same reflex ranks higher because screen and mouse lag are removed.
Reaction time percentile table
Read it straight: find the row nearest your millisecond score and the middle column is your percentile: the share of people on the same online test you are faster than. The curve is interpolated from published aggregate statistics (81M+ recorded clicks), so it reflects real results, not an invented scale.
| Reaction time | Faster than | You are in the | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 ms | 99.9% of people | top 0.1% | Elite |
| 160 ms | 99.2% of people | top 0.8% | Elite |
| 180 ms | 96.5% of people | top 3.5% | Elite |
| 195 ms | 92% of people | top 8% | Exceptional |
| 210 ms | 84% of people | top 16% | Exceptional |
| 225 ms | 75% of people | top 25% | Fast |
| 240 ms | 65% of people | top 35% | Fast |
| 255 ms | 57% of people | top 43% | Above average |
| 273 ms | 50% of people | top 50% | Above average · median |
| 290 ms | 43% of people | top 57% | Average |
| 310 ms | 34% of people | top 66% | Average |
| 330 ms | 26% of people | top 74% | Below average |
| 355 ms | 18% of people | top 82% | Below average |
| 385 ms | 11% of people | top 89% | Below average |
| 420 ms | 6.5% of people | top 93.5% | Take another go |
| 470 ms | 3.2% of people | top 96.8% | Take another go |
Percentiles interpolated from the ReactScore model anchored to Human Benchmark's published median and mean (81M+ clicks; 273 ms median, 284 ms mean). Want your exact figure? The is my reaction time good? checker places any number instantly, and the main reaction time test gives you a corrected score to look up.
What the distribution looks like
Online reaction times are not a neat bell curve; they are right-skewed. Most people bunch just left of the 273 ms median, then a long tail of slow, distracted clicks stretches out to the right and drags the mean up to 284 ms. That skew is exactly why a percentile (your rank) tells you more than the raw average does.
Why our percentile is the honest one
Here is the catch every other percentile chart ignores: the number you feed it is already wrong. A browser adds 10 to 50 ms of display and input lag that has nothing to do with your reflexes, so a raw online score ranks you lower than you really are. ReactScore measures that lag on your device and corrects for it, so the percentile you read off this table comes from your true reaction time, not one inflated by a 60 Hz screen or a wireless mouse. The full method is on the methodology page.
Percentile changes with age
One number is not "good" or "bad" in a vacuum; it depends who you are compared against. Reaction time peaks in the early twenties and slows each decade after, so a 290 ms score is mid-pack for a 20-year-old but genuinely quick for someone in their sixties. To rank against your own age group, see the average reaction time by age table or take the reaction age test.
Frequently asked questions
What percentile is a good reaction time?
What percentile is a 200 ms reaction time?
What percentile is a 250 ms reaction time?
Why is the average online reaction time 273 ms?
Are these percentiles the same as Human Benchmark?
How do you calculate a reaction time percentile?
Sources
- Human Benchmark, 'Reaction Time Statistics'. Self-reported online aggregate (unscreened participants, includes display and input latency): median 273 ms, mean 284 ms, over 81 million recorded clicks. Figures as published by the source, accessed 26 August 2026.
- Talboom et al. (2021), "Two separate, large cohorts reveal potential modifiers of age-associated variation in visual reaction time", npj Aging (MindCrowd, n=75,666) (~7 ms/year)
- Der & Deary (2006), "Age and sex differences in reaction time in adulthood", Psychology and Aging, from the UK Health & Lifestyle Survey, n=7,130
- Fozard et al. (1994), "Age differences and changes in reaction time: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging", Journal of Gerontology 49(4):P179-89 (auditory reaction time, n=1,265, ages 17 to 96)
- Proctor & Schneider (2018), Hick's law review, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
- Pain & Hibbs (2007), "Sprint starts and the minimum auditory reaction time", Journal of Sports Sciences: sub-100 ms sprint-start reactions
- Komi, Ishikawa & Salmi (2009), "IAAF Sprint Start Research Project: Is the 100 ms limit still valid?", New Studies in Athletics 24(1):37-47. The study behind the 0.100 s false-start rule; it recorded auditory reactions as fast as 80 ms and recommended lowering the limit to 80-85 ms
- Souissi et al. (2014), "The effects of caffeine ingestion on the reaction time and short-term maximal performance after 36 h of sleep deprivation", Physiology & Behavior 131:1-6 (n=13, 5 mg/kg) (PMID 24732414)