Average reaction time by age
Age is by far the strongest predictor of reaction time — it explains more score variance than gender and device type combined. The data below comes from the Human Benchmark Reaction Time test, filtered to desktop users only to remove touchscreen latency confounds.
| Age group | Mean RT | Median RT | Std deviation | vs. Peak age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 13 | 272ms | 258ms | ±68ms | +50ms |
| 13–17 | 248ms | 238ms | ±52ms | +26ms |
| 18–24 ← Peak | 231ms | 222ms | ±45ms | — |
| 25–34 | 242ms | 232ms | ±46ms | +10ms |
| 35–44 | 259ms | 248ms | ±50ms | +26ms |
| 45–54 | 282ms | 268ms | ±55ms | +46ms |
| 55–64 | 305ms | 288ms | ±62ms | +66ms |
| 65+ | 332ms | 312ms | ±71ms | +90ms |
Note: means are higher than medians due to right-skewed distributions (slow outlier trials). Median is a more representative "typical" score.
Notice the standard deviation — it's large at every age. A 45-year-old in the top 10% of their age group still beats the median 25-year-old. For deeper context on the biological reasons behind this curve, see Age and Cognitive Speed: What the Data Shows.
Average reaction time by gender
Across virtually every dataset — lab studies and online tests alike — males score faster on average than females on simple visual reaction time tasks. The median gap in Human Benchmark data is approximately 15–20ms, consistent with peer-reviewed literature.
Why does the gap exist — and what does it mean?
Several mechanisms are proposed: differences in average motor cortex excitability, testosterone-linked differences in neural conduction velocity, and selection bias (men who take online reaction time tests skew toward gamers and competitive users). The gap narrows substantially when controlling for gaming experience.
Practically speaking: the gap is real but small relative to within-gender variation. A well-trained woman will substantially outperform an untrained man at the same age. Gender should not be treated as a meaningful performance ceiling.
| Age group | Male median | Female median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13–17 | 232ms | 245ms | 13ms |
| 18–24 | 215ms | 232ms | 17ms |
| 25–34 | 225ms | 241ms | 16ms |
| 35–44 | 240ms | 258ms | 18ms |
| 45–54 | 259ms | 279ms | 20ms |
| 55+ | 282ms | 302ms | 20ms |
Average reaction time by device type
Device type creates one of the most dramatic and frequently misunderstood score differences. Mobile users consistently score 30–50ms slower than desktop users — not necessarily because they have slower reaction times, but because of fundamental hardware differences in input latency.
| Device type | Typical median | vs. Desktop mouse | Primary latency source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop (wired mouse) | 222ms | baseline | ~1ms polling |
| Desktop (wireless mouse) | 226ms | +4ms | 2–8ms wireless |
| Laptop (trackpad) | 241ms | +19ms | Touch sampling rate |
| Touchscreen (phone/tablet) | 258ms | +36ms | Touch digitizer delay |
The device penalty means mobile scores should never be directly compared to desktop scores. If you're trying to track your true cognitive speed over time, always use the same device. Our dedicated article on Mobile vs Desktop Reaction Time Tests covers this in depth — including a correction factor you can apply to normalize scores across devices.
Display refresh rate also matters
A 60Hz monitor adds up to 16.7ms of additional frame latency compared to a 240Hz display at the point of stimulus appearance. This means two identical users on different monitors can score up to 16ms apart with no difference in their actual neurology. See Does Screen Refresh Rate Improve Reaction Time Scores? for the full analysis.
Putting it all together: what to compare against
For the fairest comparison, identify your combination of factors. An 18–24-year-old male on a wired desktop mouse is the most favorable combination. A 55-year-old woman on a touchscreen phone is working against a ~55ms compound disadvantage before finger touches screen.
The most useful benchmark
Compare yourself to the same age group, same device class, and use your own average over 5+ attempts — not your single best trial. View the global leaderboard to see where you rank in the full population. Use the Processing Speed test for a supplementary measure less affected by device type.
Get your personal baseline today
Take 5 trials on desktop and note your median — that's the number to track and improve.
Take the Reaction Time test