Decibel chart: common noise levels from 0 to 130 dB
Decibels use a logarithmic scale: every 10 dB increase sounds roughly twice as loud, and every 3 dB increase doubles the sound energy reaching your ears. That is why 85 dB is safe for eight hours while 100 dB is safe for only about fifteen minutes.
Written by Nayeem, Software Developer of SoundLevelTest.com
Published: · Last updated:
Researched and compiled from published guidance by NIOSH, OSHA, CDC, and the WHO.
Want to know the level where you are right now? Run the free sound level test and compare your reading against the table below.
Decibel level chart with everyday examples
| Level | Typical sound | Safe daily exposure |
|---|---|---|
| 10 dB | Normal breathing | No exposure limit |
| 20 dB | Rustling leaves, ticking watch | No exposure limit |
| 30 dB | Whisper, quiet bedroom at night | No exposure limit |
| 40 dB | Library, quiet suburb | No exposure limit |
| 50 dB | Refrigerator, moderate rainfall | No exposure limit |
| 60 dB | Normal conversation, dishwasher | No exposure limit |
| 70 dB | Vacuum cleaner, busy office, shower | No exposure limit |
| 80 dB | Garbage disposal, city traffic from the sidewalk | No exposure limit |
| 85 dB | Heavy traffic, noisy restaurant, gas lawn mower | 8 hours |
| 90 dB | Hair dryer at close range, blender | 3 hours |
| 95 dB | Motorcycle, subway train | 48 minutes |
| 100 dB | Nightclub, handheld drill, sporting event | 15 minutes |
| 110 dB | Rock concert, chainsaw, car horn at 1 m | 1.5 minutes |
| 120 dB | Ambulance siren, thunderclap overhead | 9 seconds |
| 130 dB | Jet takeoff nearby, fireworks at close range | 1 seconds |
Printable decibel chart
A one-page version of this table for a workshop, classroom or office wall: every level, its noise zone and the NIOSH safe daily time, plus the three rules of thumb below. It is a vector file, so it prints sharply on Letter or A4 paper at any size.
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Safe exposure times use the NIOSH recommended exposure limit of 85 dBA for 8 hours with a 3 dB exchange rate. See also CDC guidance on preventing noise-induced hearing loss and the WHO fact sheet on deafness and hearing loss.
Noise level bands and what they mean
- 0–30 dB · Very quiet
- Rustling leaves, a whisper, a quiet bedroom at night. No risk to hearing.
- 30–50 dB · Quiet
- Library, quiet office, refrigerator hum. No risk to hearing.
- 50–65 dB · Moderate
- Normal conversation, dishwasher, light traffic. No risk to hearing.
- 65–80 dB · Loud
- Vacuum cleaner, busy restaurant, city traffic. Safe for most of the day; annoyance and stress possible.
- 80–90 dB · Very loud
- Blender, lawn mower, heavy traffic. Damage possible after roughly 2 hours a day at 85 dB.
- 90–105 dB · Extremely loud
- Motorcycle, nightclub, power tools. Damage possible in minutes; hearing protection advised.
- 105–130 dB · Dangerous
- Concert front row, chainsaw, siren at close range. Damage possible in seconds.
- 130–130+ dB · Pain threshold
- Jet engine at close range, fireworks, gunshot. Immediate injury risk.
How loud is 50, 55, 60 and 70 decibels?
50 dB is about the level of a refrigerator in a quiet kitchen — clearly audible but easy to talk over. 55 decibels is a typical quiet suburban background: a distant road, a fan, muted conversation in the next room. 60 dB matches normal conversation at about one metre, the level CDC guidance uses as its everyday reference point. 70 dB is a vacuum cleaner or steady city traffic: loud enough to be tiring over a long day, but below the level where hearing damage begins. Damage risk starts at sustained exposure around 85 decibels.
Classrooms work in the same 40–70 dB range: silent work stays under about 40 dB, group work sits near 65 dB. A classroom noise meter shows the live level on the board with silent colour alerts for each activity.
The 3 dB rule of thumb
A useful rule of thumb for reading the decibel scale: every 3 dB doubles the sound intensity, so the safe listening time halves. That is why 85 dB is safe for a full eight-hour day, 88 dB for four hours, 91 dB for two and 100 dB for only about fifteen minutes. Perceived loudness moves more slowly than energy does — most people need roughly a 10 dB increase before a sound subjectively feels twice as loud — which is why a machine can be far more damaging than it sounds.
Sound level also falls with distance. In open air, doubling your distance from a point source drops the level by about 6 dB, so stepping back from a noisy machine reduces noise exposure quickly. Indoors, reflections from hard surfaces keep the level higher than that simple rule predicts.
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