# What desk height do I need?

Works out the chair seat height, desk or keyboard height and monitor height for sitting or standing from your own body measurements, following the OSHA Computer Workstations eTool.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/desk-height-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/desk-height-calculator.json
- Version: f6edbd44ab61

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Working Sitting, Measurements in inches, Floor to back of knee 17, Seat to elbow 9.5, Seat to eye 30): Set the desk or keyboard at 26.5 and the top of the monitor at no more than 47.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pos | Working | Sitting or standing at the desk. |
| u | Measurements in | Inches or centimeters for the measurements you type. |
| k | Floor to back of knee | Sitting with your thigh level and foot flat, in your work shoes: the floor to the crease behind the knee. |
| es | Seat to elbow | Sitting upright, upper arm hanging and elbow bent to 90 degrees: the seat to the underside of the elbow. |
| ey | Seat to eye | Sitting upright, looking straight ahead: the seat to your eyes. |
| est | Floor to elbow | Standing in your work shoes, upper arm hanging and elbow bent to 90 degrees: the floor to the underside of the elbow. |
| eyst | Floor to eye | Standing in your work shoes, looking ahead: the floor to your eyes. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| desk | Desk or keyboard height | The keyboard surface at elbow height, in the unit you typed. |
| seat | Chair seat height | Sitting: the seat at the height of the back of the knee, or a little lower. |
| monitor | Top of monitor, at most | The top line of the screen at or slightly below eye level. |
| deskOther | Desk height in the other unit | The desk height in cm if you typed inches, or in inches if you typed cm. |
| monitorOther | Top of monitor in the other unit | The monitor top in cm if you typed inches, or in inches if you typed cm. |
| distance | Screen distance | How far the screen should be from your eyes (OSHA). |

## Method

Sitting: seat = floor to back of knee; desk = seat + seat to elbow; monitor top = seat + seat to eye. Standing: desk = floor to elbow; monitor top = floor to eye.

## Assumptions

- Measure in the shoes you work in. The heights put your thighs level, your forearms level and your eyes at the top of the screen, as the OSHA eTool describes.
- If the desk cannot be lowered to the desk height, raise the chair and use a footrest.
- The keyboard sits on the desk surface; with a keyboard tray, the tray takes the desk height.

## Worked examples

1. pos = sit, u = in, k = 17, es = 9.5, ey = 30 gives seat = 17, desk = 26.5, monitor = 47, deskOther = 67.3, monitorOther = 119.4. Source: OSHA Computer Workstations eTool (Positions, Chairs, Keyboards, Monitors), https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations.
2. pos = stand, u = cm, est = 106.5, eyst = 158 gives desk = 106.5, monitor = 158, deskOther = 41.9. Source: OSHA Computer Workstations eTool (Positions, Chairs, Keyboards, Monitors), https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations.
3. pos = sit, u = cm, k = 44, es = 23.5, ey = 76 gives seat = 44, desk = 67.5, monitor = 120, monitorOther = 47.2. Source: OSHA Computer Workstations eTool (Positions, Chairs, Keyboards, Monitors), https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations.

## FAQ

### How high should my desk be?

High enough that the keyboard is at your elbow height with your upper arms hanging and forearms level (OSHA). Sitting, that is the seat height plus the seat-to-elbow height: 17 + 9.5 = 26.5 inches for the default measurements. Standing, it is the floor-to-elbow height.

### How high should my chair be?

So that your feet rest flat on the floor and your thighs are about level, with the back of the knee slightly higher than the seat (OSHA). Measure from the floor to the crease behind your knee in your work shoes; the seat goes at that height or a little lower.

### How high should my monitor be?

The top line of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level (OSHA). Sitting, that is the seat height plus your seated eye height; standing, your standing eye height.

### How far away should my monitor be?

At least 20 inches from your eyes, and OSHA gives 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 cm) as the preferred range. Move it closer if you lean forward to read.

### Why does the calculator ask for measurements instead of my height?

Legs, trunk and arms are not the same share of everyone’s height, so a desk height from body height alone is a rough guess. Two or three measurements of your own body give your own heights, which is what OSHA’s guidance is based on.

### My desk is too high and does not adjust. What can I do?

Raise the chair until the keyboard is at elbow height, then support your feet with a footrest, as the OSHA eTool suggests. A keyboard tray below the desk also lowers the keyboard.

## Sources

- OSHA, Computer Workstations eTool: Positions (thighs parallel to the floor, elbows bent between 90 and 120 degrees), https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/positions; Chairs (sole of the foot on the floor, back of the knee slightly higher than the seat), https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/components/chairs; Keyboards (elbows about the same height as the keyboard), https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/components/keyboards; Monitors (top of the monitor at or slightly below eye level; 20 to 40 inches away), https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/components/monitors (retrieved 2026-10-19)
- NIST Special Publication 811 (2008), Appendix B.8: 1 in = 2.54 cm exactly. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811 (retrieved 2026-10-19)