Is an IQ of 138 Good? What It Means & Where You Stand

What Does an IQ of 138 Mean?

An IQ of 138 is deep in the gifted range, approaching the genius threshold at 140. At the 99.5th percentile, only about 1 in 200 people score this high. Cognitive processing at this level is noticeably faster and more complex than the vast majority of the population. People at 138 often have an effortless ability with abstract concepts and may find that what challenges others comes naturally to them.

An IQ of 138 places you at the 99.5th percentile, which means you scored higher than approximately 99.5% of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. This score falls into the Very Superior / Gifted range on the IQ scale. With a rarity of 1 in 200, this score is uncommon and indicates strong cognitive abilities.

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.

Career Context for an IQ of 138

At 138, virtually any intellectual career is possible. Many at this level are drawn to fields where they can push boundaries — research, innovation, creative arts at the highest level, and strategic leadership. The challenge is often sustaining interest rather than building capability.

Cognitive Profile at IQ 138

IQ 138 reflects exceptional gifted-level cognitive ability — the top 0.7% of the population. Abstract reasoning is at a level where truly novel intellectual terrain is engaged productively rather than feeling inaccessible. Theoretical and formal thinking is generative: individuals build and evaluate complex models, identify structural flaws in sophisticated arguments, and perceive implications of premises that others overlook. Verbal ability supports world-class scholarly and professional writing. Quantitative reasoning handles the most advanced research-level mathematics relevant to applied domains. Working memory is exceptional. Processing speed is well above average. This score profiles many of the most intellectually productive scholars, scientists, and senior strategic leaders in global knowledge-economy institutions.

What Research Says About IQ 138

Murray (1998) in Human Accomplishment analyzed the cognitive profiles of historically recognized intellectual achievers and found strong positive associations between estimated cognitive ability and the scale of creative contribution, with the most prolific contributors across science, mathematics, and philosophy clustering well above the 98th percentile of cognitive ability. Individuals at IQ 138 are situated within this most productive population segment.

Day-to-Day Life with an IQ of 138

A professor and MacArthur Fellow in linguistics at IQ 138 develops a transformative new framework for understanding syntactic universals, publishes foundational monographs that reshape graduate training in the field, and participates in cross-disciplinary collaborations with cognitive scientists and computer scientists designing NLP systems grounded in formal linguistic theory. A chief economic advisor to a G7 head of government synthesizes complex macroeconomic and geopolitical analysis into actionable policy recommendations, managing a team of PhD economists and communicating nuanced economic tradeoffs to political leaders under time pressure. A landmark civil rights attorney wins multiple Supreme Court cases establishing foundational precedents over a forty-year career.

How Does an IQ of 138 Compare?

Here's how a score of 138 compares to nearby IQ scores:

Famous People with an IQ Around 138

The following well-known figures have estimated IQ scores close to 138:

• Carl Sagan — Astronomer, science communicator, Cosmos TV series, Pale Blue Dot (estimated IQ: 140)
• Sam Harris — Neuroscientist, philosopher, author, atheism and consciousness (estimated IQ: 143)
• George Orwell — Author of 1984 and Animal Farm, political essayist (estimated IQ: 140)
• Malcolm Gladwell — Author, journalist, The Tipping Point, Outliers, Blink (estimated IQ: 130–140)
• Yuval Noah Harari — Historian, author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons (estimated IQ: 140)

Careers That Suit an IQ of 138

People with an IQ around 138 are well-suited for the following career paths:

• CEO — average IQ range: 115–135
• Investment Banker — average IQ range: 120–135
• Radiologist — average IQ range: 125–135
• Actuary — average IQ range: 120–135
• Economist — average IQ range: 120–135

See the full IQ by career chart for all professions.

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