Average vertical jump by age and level
There is no single average vertical jump, because the number depends on age, training history, sex, and how the test was run. As rough orientation, untrained adults commonly land somewhere in the mid-teens of inches on a standing vertical, trained recreational athletes in the low-to-mid twenties, and competitive jump-sport athletes in the high twenties and above.
Typical ranges by age and training level
The table below gives approximate bands for a no-step (standing) vertical jump. Treat it as orientation, not as a standard to be graded against — published figures vary widely depending on the population tested and the equipment used.
| Group | Approximate standing vertical |
|---|---|
| Youth, roughly ages 12-14 | About 10-16 in (25-40 cm) |
| High-school age, general population | About 14-20 in (35-50 cm) |
| High-school athlete, jump sports | About 18-24 in (45-60 cm) |
| Adult, untrained | About 14-20 in (35-50 cm) |
| Adult, regularly training | About 20-26 in (50-65 cm) |
| College athlete, jump sports | About 24-30 in (60-75 cm) |
| Elite or professional jump-sport athlete | About 28-36 in (70-90 cm) |
Figures for women typically run several inches below men's at a comparable age and training level, largely reflecting average differences in body composition and muscle mass rather than anything about training quality.
Why age moves the number
Vertical jump generally rises steeply through adolescence, plateaus somewhere in the twenties, and declines slowly from around the thirties onward. Most of the adolescent increase comes from growth and maturation rather than training, which is why a teenager's improving numbers should not be read as proof that a particular programme is working.
The decline later in life is gradual and is substantially blunted by continued strength and power training. An untrained 40-year-old and a training 40-year-old are not in the same range.
What actually drives differences between people
- Relative strength. Force produced per unit of body mass, not absolute strength alone.
- Rate of force development. How quickly that force arrives during a short ground contact.
- Body composition. Extra non-contributing mass has to be accelerated too.
- Technique. Arm swing, countermovement depth, and takeoff timing are trainable and often worth several inches.
- Training history. Years of consistent work matter more than any single block.
How to read your own number honestly
Compare yourself to your own trend, not to the table. The test protocol changes the result enough that cross-population comparisons are unreliable: a running-approach jump usually reads higher than a standing one, and flight-time devices do not always agree with reach-based tests on the same jump.
Before drawing conclusions, confirm you are measuring consistently — see how to measure your vertical jump. Then retest every few weeks under the same conditions rather than daily, since day-to-day variation from sleep, fatigue, and warm-up quality is easily large enough to hide real progress.
What a realistic improvement looks like
Progress is highly individual and depends on training age. Someone new to structured strength and plyometric work usually improves faster than an experienced athlete already near their ceiling, and gains tend to come in uneven steps rather than a straight line. Judge a training block over months, not weeks, and expect smaller returns the more trained you already are.
Plyometric work is high-impact by nature. Build a strength base first, keep total jump volume moderate, allow full recovery between hard sessions, and stop a session when takeoff quality degrades rather than pushing through it.
This guide is general information, not medical advice — consult a qualified clinician about your situation.
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