What's the average vertical jump? By age, sport, and skill level

May 6, 20266 min read

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"Is my vertical jump good?" is one of the most common questions in basketball — and one of the hardest to answer in isolation. A 24-inch vert is unremarkable for a college guard, extraordinary for a 40-year-old desk worker, and roughly average for a recreational pickup player. This piece gathers the numbers in one place so you can see where you actually stand.

The average adult

Across studies of healthy, untrained adults, average standing vertical jumps land in a narrow band:

Group	Typical standing vert
Untrained adult man	16–20 in (41–51 cm)
Untrained adult woman	12–16 in (30–41 cm)
Active / recreational man	18–22 in (46–56 cm)
Active / recreational woman	14–18 in (36–46 cm)

The average person who jumps regularly — recreational athletes who play pickup or train casually — tends to sit a few inches above the untrained baseline. Genetics matter, but training history matters more than people realize.

By age

Vertical jump follows the classic athletic-peak curve. It rises quickly through your teens, plateaus in your early 20s, holds relatively steady through your late 20s, and then declines slowly unless you keep training for explosiveness.

Typical standing vert by age (men, recreationally active)

Age	Typical range
13–15	14–20 in
16–18	18–24 in
19–25	20–26 in
26–35	18–24 in
36–45	15–21 in
46+	11–17 in

For women, subtract roughly 3–5 inches from each row. The age-related decline is real but very trainable — masters athletes in their 40s and 50s routinely outjump untrained 20-year-olds.

The classic Vertec setup used at the NBA combine.

Basketball players

Basketball selects for verticality, so the averages climb the higher you go up the pyramid.

Level (men)	Typical standing vert
High school varsity	20–26 in
NCAA Division II	24–28 in
NCAA Division I guard	28–32 in
NCAA Division I forward	26–30 in
NBA combine (standing)	29–33 in
NBA combine (max approach)	33–37 in

Roughly 80% of NBA prospects measure between 30 and 36 inches on their max vertical at the combine. The genuine 40-plus inch jumpers are rare even at the very top of the sport — and they tend to make highlight reels for a reason.

WNBA / women's basketball — approximate ranges

Level (women)	Typical standing vert
High school varsity	14–20 in
NCAA Division I	18–24 in
WNBA combine (standing)	20–25 in
WNBA combine (max approach)	23–28 in

Where "legends" actually sit

Numbers attached to famous dunkers are often exaggerated, but a few well-documented standouts:

Michael Jordan: ~46-inch max vertical at his peak, widely cited.
Vince Carter: reportedly in the low 40s, with dunk-contest highlights to match.
Zach LaVine: 46-inch max at the NBA combine, one of the highest ever recorded there.
Spud Webb:reportedly a 46-inch vertical at 5'7", which is the more impressive part.
Wilt Chamberlain: claimed in the high 40s, though those numbers predate modern testing.

The very top of the curve — a tiny fraction of all jumpers.

How to read your own number

Here's a simple way to translate your standing vert into a tier. These are the bands Apex uses inside the app:

Tier	Men	Women
Beginner	< 16 in	< 12 in
Average	16–22 in	12–17 in
Athletic	22–28 in	17–22 in
Excellent	28–32 in	22–26 in
Elite	32–36 in	26–30 in
World class	36+ in	30+ in

One last thing worth saying: a single number on a single day doesn't define your jump. The interesting story is the trend line — your weekly average over a season. Pick a tier you want to move into, train two days a week, and measure on the third. That's it. That's the whole game.