Is an IQ of 116 Good? What It Means & Where You Stand

What Does an IQ of 116 Mean?

An IQ of 116 is solidly high average at the 86th percentile. Only about 14% of people score higher. At this level, you have a consistent, meaningful cognitive advantage. Academic work comes more easily than for most, and you can handle complex professional demands with competence.

An IQ of 116 places you at the 86th percentile, which means you scored higher than approximately 86% of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. This score falls into the High Average range on the IQ scale. With a rarity of 1 in 7, this score is within the range where most people score.

To understand how IQ scores are calculated and what they measure, see our complete guide on what IQ is and how it works. For a full breakdown of all score ranges and their meanings, visit our IQ score ranges page.

How Precise Is a Score of 116?

Less precise than a single number suggests. Professionally administered IQ tests carry a standard error of measurement of roughly 3–5 points, which means a measured score of 116is best read as a range of about 111 to 121 — and scores from short online tests vary even more. Test-retest studies show the same person's score can shift by several points between sessions due to sleep, stress, motivation, practice effects, and simple chance. Different tests (WAIS, Stanford-Binet, Raven's) can also yield somewhat different numbers for the same person. Treat any single figure — including this one — as an estimate with a margin of error, not a fixed property. Our methodology page explains how our own estimate is calculated.

What an IQ of 116 Does Not Establish

An IQ score summarizes performance on abstract reasoning tasks at one point in time. It is not a medical or psychological diagnosis, and a score of 116 on its own does not determine your career ceiling, academic future, creativity, emotional intelligence, judgment, or character. Research links IQ to average outcomes across large groups, but individual outcomes vary enormously at every score level. If you need a clinically valid assessment — for educational placement, a disability evaluation, or gifted-program admission — only a licensed psychologist can provide one. See our disclaimer for the full limitations.

Career Context for an IQ of 116

At 116, virtually all professional careers are accessible. Graduate school, demanding analytical roles, and leadership positions are all realistic. This is in the range where cognitive ability starts being a genuine career asset.

A note on career framing: occupational IQ averages describe broad group tendencies from research samples — they are not entry requirements, and employers do not screen candidates by IQ. Interest, training, persistence, and opportunity shape careers far more than a test score.

Cognitive Profile at IQ 116

At IQ 116, the high-average to bright-normal profile shows consistently strong and flexible verbal reasoning across the most demanding academic and professional domains, reliable and consistent fluid intelligence on novel and complex abstract problems at the highest level encountered in typical academic settings, and academic capacity supporting successful completion of highly competitive doctoral programs and top professional programs. Verbal reasoning handles primary research literature in the most demanding disciplines with reliable and flexible critical, analytical, and synthetic reasoning. Working memory holds 10 items. Processing speed is at the 76th–77th percentile. Fluid intelligence shows genuine and reliable novel problem-solving with strong consistency even on the most demanding abstract reasoning problems in typical professional and academic settings. The cognitive profile at IQ 116 is functionally equivalent to IQ 118 in most real-world settings — the two-point difference falls within psychometric measurement error.

What Research Says About IQ 116

NLSY79 data document that IQ 116 individuals achieve 4-year college enrollment at 85% and bachelor's degree completion at approximately 80%. Median earnings are approximately 25–26% above the US median. Research by Lubinski & Benbow (2006) using SMPY longitudinal data found that individuals at IQ 116 who entered STEM doctoral programs achieved tenure rates, publication rates, and grant funding comparable to peers scoring 5–8 points higher. Schmidt & Hunter (1998) estimate that at IQ 116, job performance advantages in complex occupations are consistently in the large-to-very-large range. Gottfredson (1997) identifies this range as associated with doctoral program success and the upper tiers of most professional careers.

Day-to-Day Life with an IQ of 116

A person at IQ 116 works as a federal appellate judge — authoring opinions on complex constitutional, statutory, and regulatory questions, managing a large caseload with multiple law clerks, participating in en banc deliberations, and occasionally teaching at a law school. They graduated from a top-10 law school with law review, clerked for a Supreme Court Justice, and spent 12 years as a litigator before their appointment. They own their home, manage complex finances, and are active in judicial education programs. They are regarded by the legal community as a rigorous, creative jurist whose opinions are frequently cited as authoritative.

How Does an IQ of 116 Compare?

Here's how a score of 116 compares to nearby IQ scores:

Famous People with an IQ Around 116

The following well-known figures have estimated IQ scores close to 116:

• Angel Reese — LSU national champion, Chicago Sky WNBA forward, cultural icon (estimated IQ: 120)
• Scottie Scheffler — World No. 1 golfer, Masters champion, PGA Tour Player of the Year (estimated IQ: 118)
• Saquon Barkley — Philadelphia Eagles running back, NFL rushing champion (estimated IQ: 118)
• Olivia Rodrigo — Singer-songwriter, SOUR and GUTS albums, pop phenomenon (estimated IQ: 120)
• SZA — R&B singer-songwriter, CTRL and SOS albums, Top Dawg Entertainment (estimated IQ: 118)

Careers That Suit an IQ of 116

People with an IQ around 116 are well-suited for the following career paths:

• Airline Pilot — average IQ range: 105–120
• Marketing Manager — average IQ range: 108–120
• Registered Dietitian — average IQ range: 105–115
• Cybersecurity Analyst — average IQ range: 112–125
• Dentist Hygienist — average IQ range: 100–112

See the full IQ by career chart for all professions.

Explore Other IQ Scores

Take our free IQ test to find out where you stand, or learn more about what IQ really measures.