What is a good ATS score?
Aim for 85 or above against the specific job posting you are applying to. Scores are relative to one requisition, not absolute quality marks — the same resume can score 92 for one role and 54 for another. Below roughly 70 you are usually filtered out before a recruiter reads anything.
What the number is measuring
A score combines coverage of the required skills and tools, alignment of titles and seniority, evidence of the responsibilities listed, and whether the document parses cleanly. It is a match score, not a talent score.
How to raise it without keyword stuffing
Every improvement below is something a human reviewer would also reward.
- Rewrite the summary to name the target role and the two or three requirements you match best.
- Add real tools from the posting that are missing from your skills section.
- Convert responsibility bullets into outcome bullets with numbers you can source.
- Match seniority language — 'led', 'owned', 'shipped' — to the level advertised.
Related questions
Is a 100 score better?
Not necessarily. A near-perfect score often means the resume was over-fitted with terms you cannot defend. High 80s with genuine evidence converts better.
Do all employers use ATS scoring?
Most mid-size and large employers use an applicant tracking system, though how heavily they weight automated ranking varies by team.
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