Real data · 650+ athletes

Vertical jump norms: how high do athletes actually jump?

Most "average vertical jump" numbers online are recycled estimates. These aren't. Every number below comes from real jumps measured on Plyomat devices — flight-time data from 658 athletes (CMJ) and 726 athletes (RSI), each contributing their single best kept rep. Median best CMJ: 47.0 cm (18.5 in)52.3 cm for male athletes, 37.6 cm for female athletes.

658
athletes · CMJ data
47.0 cm
median best CMJ (18.5 in)
2.42
median best RSI (n=726)
≈1 cm
device accuracy vs force plate
CMJ percentiles

Vertical jump height norms (best CMJ)

Find your best countermovement jump in the table. Each row is a percentile of the tested population: the 50th percentile is the athlete median, the 90th means you out-jump 9 in 10 tested athletes.

PercentileAll athletes (n=658)Male (n=330)Female (n=167)
10th30.8 cm · 12.1 in35.9 cm · 14.1 in27.1 cm · 10.7 in
25th36.8 cm · 14.5 in42.4 cm · 16.7 in32.0 cm · 12.6 in
50th · median47.0 cm · 18.5 in52.3 cm · 20.6 in37.6 cm · 14.8 in
75th59.4 cm · 23.4 in63.5 cm · 25.0 in49.0 cm · 19.3 in
90th68.9 cm · 27.1 in77.3 cm · 30.4 in56.7 cm · 22.3 in
95th78.1 cm · 30.7 in84.3 cm · 33.2 in63.4 cm · 25.0 in

Gender splits use athlete profiles where gender is recorded; the all-athletes column includes every tested athlete. Data snapshot: June 2026.

Read this before comparing

What these numbers are — and aren't

These are per-athlete bests, not session averages. Each athlete contributes the single best kept rep they've ever recorded, because "how high can I jump?" is the question people actually ask. A typical jump in a normal session runs lower than a best.

This is an athletic population. Plyomat users are coached athletes — school, club, college, and professional programmes — plus physio patients in testing. General-population averages run meaningfully lower than these tables. If you're an untrained adult comparing against the 50th percentile here, you're comparing against the middle of a trained group.

The measurement is honest. Every jump is flight-time measured on a switch mat and computed by the Controller 3.0 — a method independently validated against an AccuPower force plate (within ~1 cm, ICC 0.85). No self-reported numbers, no wall-and-tape estimates, no survey data.

RSI percentiles

Reactive Strength Index norms (best RSI)

RSI = jump height ÷ ground contact time, the standard measure of reactive, elastic ability. Same rules as above: per-athlete bests, real device data.

PercentileAll athletes (n=726)Male (n=349)Female (n=178)
10th1.121.341.07
25th1.671.851.75
50th · median2.422.722.43
75th3.323.673.16
90th3.934.203.64
95th4.354.503.79

Because these are bests, they read higher than the working-session bands in our RSI guide (where above 3.0 is classed excellent). Use this table to see where your best stands among tested athletes; use the guide's bands to programme training. To get your own number, the free RSI calculator works from jump height and contact time.

Methodology

Where this data comes from

Real devices, not surveys

Every data point is a jump on a Plyomat switch mat, measured by flight time and computed on the Controller 3.0. Nothing self-reported.

One best per athlete

Each athlete contributes a single value per metric — their best kept rep — so a power user testing daily can't drag the distribution.

Anonymous & aggregated

Percentiles are computed across the whole population with no names, teams, or identifying details. The app doesn't even collect dates of birth.

Updated as the data grows

Snapshot: June 2026 — 658 athletes with CMJ data, 726 with RSI data. As more teams test, we'll refresh the tables and add by-sport breakdowns.

Questions

Vertical jump norms FAQ

What is the average vertical jump?
Across 658 athletes tested on Plyomat, the median best CMJ is 47.0 cm (18.5 in) — 52.3 cm (20.6 in) for male athletes and 37.6 cm (14.8 in) for female athletes. These are per-athlete bests from a coached population, so general-population averages run lower.
What is a good vertical jump?
Using the percentiles above: around 47 cm (18.5 in) is the athlete median, 59 cm (23.4 in) is top 25%, 69 cm (27.1 in) is top 10%, and 78 cm (30.7 in) is top 5%. For male athletes, top 10% starts around 77 cm (30.4 in); for female athletes, around 57 cm (22.3 in).
What is the average vertical jump by gender?
Median best CMJ: 52.3 cm (20.6 in) for male athletes (n=330) and 37.6 cm (14.8 in) for female athletes (n=167). The 90th percentile sits at 77.3 cm (30.4 in) and 56.7 cm (22.3 in) respectively.
How is jump height measured in this data?
By flight time on a Plyomat switch mat: the mat detects ground contact directly and the Controller 3.0 converts air time to height in centimetres — a method independently validated against an AccuPower force plate (within ~1 cm, ICC 0.85). See how to measure vertical jump for a comparison of methods.
What is a good RSI score?
Among per-athlete bests: median 2.42, top 25% from 3.32, top 10% from 3.93 (n=726). Working-session values run lower than bests — the training bands in our Reactive Strength Index guide are the right reference for programming.
How can I test my own vertical jump against these norms?
You need a flight-time measurement, not a wall-and-tape estimate. A Plyomat system measures CMJ height, contact time, RSI, and DRI on an on-device screen with the free app — force-plate validated, no subscription. Test a best CMJ and read your percentile straight off this page.

Know exactly where you stand, in one jump.

The numbers on this page came from Plyomat devices. Test a best CMJ on a force-plate-validated mat, read it on the device, and find yourself in the table — no lab, no laptop, no subscription.

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