what font size should a resume be

The usual font size for a resume is 10–12 points for the main text and 14–20 points for headings and your name , depending on the font and layout.

Core guideline

• Use 10–12 pt for body text like your experience bullets, skills, and education details.

• Use around 14–16 pt for section headings such as “Experience” or “Education”.

• Use about 18–20+ pt for your name at the top so it stands out as the primary heading.

Why this range works

• Sizes below 10 pt tend to be hard to read and can feel like you are cramming too much in.

• Sizes above 12 pt for body text often make the resume look sparse or childish and can push it over one page unnecessarily.

• The 10–12 pt range balances readability, white space, and professional appearance on both screens and printouts.

Font choice matters

• Many modern guides recommend clean fonts like Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or similar sans serif options, where 10.5–11 pt usually looks good.

• Some serif fonts (e.g., Garamond, Times New Roman) can look smaller at the same point size, so they may work better at 11–12 pt for body text.

Quick practical recipe

• Name: 18–22 pt
• Section headers: 14–16 pt
• Body text: 10.5–11 pt for most modern fonts (11–12 pt if the font runs small)

If you stay in that range, your resume will look clean, readable, and professional to both human recruiters and automated screening systems.