What Size Font for Resume Text? Body, Name and Headings

You have the content, and now the resume looks either cramped or sparse. What size font for resume text should you use? Most career offices land on 10 to 12 points for the body, a noticeably larger name, headings that stand out, and no shrinking type to squeeze more in. This guide covers font size and readability only.

What size font for resume text? The shared range is 10 to 12 points

Three sources opened for this guide give the same body range. UCLA Career Center lists the size as 10 to 12 points. UT Austin Career Services says to keep font size between 10 and 12 points and adds, “Don’t go smaller than 10 pt!” The NARA federal resume guide says a size between 10 and 12 is ideal for the majority of a resume’s content.

So the best font size for resume body text sits inside that range, and 10 is the floor named by UT Austin. For font choice, a legible, common font used consistently is enough. UCLA says any easily legible font works, and NARA lists Arial, Helvetica and Calibri as fonts that work well.

Name and headings: how much larger

The name goes larger than the body so it is the first thing a reader sees. Headings sit between the two, either slightly larger or bold. The sources differ on how much larger. UCLA says the name should be larger by at least 4 points and lists 16 to 18 points for the name in its contact guidance. NARA is looser and says only to choose slightly larger fonts for your name and section headers.

So treat resume font size for name and headings as “noticeably larger than the body,” not as one required number. Whatever you pick, keep the headings consistent across every section. UCLA lists the name and headings as typical items to bold.

Why the same size looks different in different fonts

Point size is not the whole story. Some fonts look larger than others at the same point size, so a 10-point body in one font can read smaller than 10 points in another. This is a general observation, not a measurement from a source.

The practical fix is to judge by eye. Set your resume font size, then look at the page at a normal reading distance. If the letters look tight or small, move up within the 10 to 12 range, or pick a font that reads larger at the same size.

If it only fits at a small size: cut content, not type

If your resume only fits when the text drops below 10 points, the problem is content, not type. UT Austin says not to go smaller than 10 points. Cut or tighten the content instead, starting with the entries that matter least for this job. For deciding what the page count should be, see how many pages a resume should be.

Illustrative before and after (invented header). Cramped: a name at 11 points above a body at 9 points, with every line packed to the edge. Readable: a name at 16 points above a body at 11 points, with two fewer bullets so the page has room.

Check it on screen and on paper

A resume gets read in more than one way, so check it in more than one:

• View it at full screen, as a reader would.

• Print one copy.

• Read it from arm’s length. If the headings and name stand out and the body is comfortable, the sizes are working.

Margins affect how readable the type feels. UT Austin says margins should be no smaller than half an inch, because people sometimes print resumes. NARA recommends one inch all around and says never go below half an inch. UCLA gives a range of half an inch to one inch.

One-minute readability check

• Body text is between 10 and 12 points.

• The name is noticeably larger than the body.

• Headings look the same in every section.

• Nothing on the page is below 10 points.

FAQ

Is 10 point too small?

It is the floor UT Austin names, so it is allowed. If the content still fits, 11 or 12 points is easier to read.

Does font choice matter more than size?

Not much, according to the sources. UCLA and NARA both say a legible font used consistently is fine, and NARA lists Arial, Helvetica and Calibri as examples that work well.

Should every heading be the same size?

Yes. Keep headings consistent across sections so the reader can see how the resume is organized. NARA says slightly larger fonts for section headers help the reader quickly see that organization.

Conclusion: Size for the reader

Use 10 to 12 points for the body, make the name noticeably larger, keep headings consistent, and cut content before you shrink type. If it reads comfortably on screen and on paper, the size is right.