What is a good ATS score for a resume?

A good ATS score is 75% or above. Scores above 80% significantly increase shortlisting rates. Below 60%, most ATS systems automatically move the resume to a rejected or low-priority pile before a recruiter sees it. The exact threshold varies by employer and ATS platform.

What does an ATS score mean?

An ATS score (also called a match score or compatibility score) measures how well your resume matches a specific job description. It is calculated by comparing your resume keywords, skills, job titles, and qualifications against the requirements in the job posting. Higher scores mean stronger keyword alignment and more likely to pass initial screening.

How do I check my ATS score for free?

You can check your ATS score for free at pilotply.com/ats-score-checker. Paste your resume text and the job description, and Pilotply calculates your match percentage, identifies missing keywords, and flags formatting issues - all free with 50 checks per month.

Can I improve my ATS score?

Yes. The fastest way to improve your ATS score is to add the exact keywords from the job description to your resume. AI resume tailoring tools like Pilotply can automatically rewrite your bullets to incorporate JD keywords while preserving authentic achievements. Most users improve their score by 25–35 points in under 10 seconds.

ATS OptimizationMay 2026 · 7 min read

What Is a Good ATS Score? (And How to Improve Yours)

If your resume scores below 75%, it is statistically likely to be filtered out before a recruiter ever reads it. Here is what ATS scores mean, what counts as good, and exactly how to improve yours.

What Is an ATS Score?

An ATS score (Applicant Tracking System score), also called a match score or compatibility score, is a percentage measuring how well your resume matches a specific job description. ATS software calculates this score by comparing your resume against the job posting across several dimensions:

Keyword match: Does your resume contain the exact words and phrases from the job description? Required skills, tools, certifications, and job titles are weighted heavily.

Skills alignment: Are the specific technical and soft skills listed in the JD present in your resume? Missing "required" skills hurt more than missing "preferred" ones.

Experience relevance: Does your work history match the experience level and domain the employer specifies? "5+ years of Python" vs your 2 years will lower your score.

Formatting compatibility: Can the ATS parse your resume correctly? Tables, graphics, and unusual fonts cause parsing errors that artificially lower your score.

Section completeness: Do you have all standard sections (Work Experience, Skills, Education) in formats the ATS recognizes?

ATS Score Ranges: What Each Score Means

🎯85–100%Excellent

Strong keyword alignment. Your resume clearly speaks the employer's language. Expect high shortlisting rates.

✓75–84%Good

Solid match. Above the threshold where most ATS systems flag resumes as qualified. Apply with confidence.

⚠️60–74%Fair

Borderline. May pass some ATS filters but will rank lower than competing applicants. Improve before submitting.

✗Below 60%Poor

High auto-rejection risk. Most ATS systems will deprioritize or filter out this resume before a human reviews it.

The critical threshold: 75%

Based on analysis of Greenhouse, Lever, and Workday screening configurations, 75% is the most common ATS pass threshold. Resumes scoring above 75% are surfaced to recruiters as "qualified." Below 75%, they are ranked lower, reviewed last, or auto-archived depending on application volume.

How to Check Your ATS Score (Free)

Go to the Pilotply ATS Score Checker

Visit pilotply.com/ats-score-checker. Free for 50 checks per month. No sign-in required for the first check.

Paste the full job description

Copy everything: responsibilities, requirements, preferred qualifications. The more complete the JD, the more accurate the score.

Upload or paste your resume

You can paste plain text or upload a .pdf or .docx. Pilotply extracts the content and compares it against the JD.

Review your score and missing keywords

Your overall match percentage appears instantly, alongside a list of keywords in the JD that are absent from your resume. These are your improvement targets.

Check Your ATS Score Right Now

Paste your resume and the job description. Your score appears in seconds. Free.

Check My ATS Score Free

50 free checks per month · No credit card

How to Improve a Low ATS Score

Most low scores have the same root cause: keyword mismatch. The job description uses specific language your resume doesn't mirror. Here's how to fix it, from fastest to most thorough:

< 10 seconds

Use AI resume tailoring

Pilotply's AI rewrites your resume bullets to incorporate the JD's keywords while keeping your authentic achievements. Most users jump 25–35 points in a single rewrite.

5–10 minutes

Manually add missing keywords

Review the missing keywords list from your ATS checker. Add each relevant keyword to your existing bullet points naturally, in context, not as a keyword dump.

15–30 minutes

Rewrite your Skills section

Add a dedicated Skills section listing the exact tools, technologies, and competencies mentioned in the JD. ATS systems weight the Skills section heavily for keyword matching.

One-time fix

Fix formatting issues

If your resume uses tables, text boxes, or graphics, those elements are invisible to ATS parsers. Switch to a single-column, plain-text-first layout. This can add 10–20 points permanently across all applications.

ATS Score vs. Human Review: How They Interact

ATS scores aren't the final word. They decide whether a recruiter sees your resume at all. Here's how screening typically works:

ATS parsing: Your resume text is extracted and structured. Parsing errors here (from poor formatting) can tank your score before it even starts.

Keyword scoring: Your parsed resume is scored against the job description. This is the ATS score you see in tools like Pilotply.

Threshold filter: Applications below the employer's pass threshold (typically 60–75%) are deprioritized or auto-archived.

Recruiter queue: Applications above the threshold enter the recruiter's review queue, ranked by score. Top-ranked resumes are reviewed first.

Human review: A recruiter reads the shortlisted resumes. This is where narrative quality, career trajectory, and cultural fit become the deciding factors.

FAQs

Do all companies use ATS?

Most companies with 50+ employees use some form of ATS. Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, and Workday are the most common in tech. Smaller companies may use simpler tools or manual email intake. In those cases, ATS scoring matters less, but keyword relevance still counts for the human reader.

Is a 100% ATS score possible?

Technically yes, but impractical. A 100% match would require your resume to contain every word in the job description, which would make it unreadable. Target 80–90% for your strongest applications. 75% is sufficient for most roles.

Does ATS score matter more than work experience?

ATS score is a gate, not a ranking. You need to score above the threshold to get in front of a recruiter. Once you're in front of a human, your actual experience, achievements, and narrative take over. A 90% ATS score doesn't outweigh weak experience in the human review stage.

Should I have a different resume for every job?

Ideally yes, especially for roles you strongly want. With AI tailoring tools like Pilotply, creating a job-specific version takes under 2 minutes. For volume applications to similar roles, one version per role type is fine.

Know Your Score Before Every Application

Pilotply scores your resume against any job in seconds, flags missing keywords, and rewrites your bullets to hit 75%+. Free for 50 checks per month.

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