Experience to level

The XP required to advance to the next level is found by:

XP = ((8 × CL) + Diff(CL)) × MXP(CL) × RF(CL)
where CL = the current Character Level

Note that the XP is always rounded down to the nearest hundred.

The function MXP(CL) is the basic amount of XP earned for killing a mob of level equal to the character (see also: Formulas:Mob XP:Basic Formula)

MXP(CL) = 45 + (5 × CL) (mobs in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor)
MXP(CL) = 235 + (5 × CL) (mobs in Outland)
MXP(CL) = 580 + (5 × CL) (mobs in Northrend)

The function Diff(CL) is an extra difficulty factor that starts around level 30 and increases by level:

Diff(CL) =       0,     CL <= 28
Diff(CL) =       1,     CL  = 29
Diff(CL) =       3,     CL  = 30
Diff(CL) =       6,     CL  = 31
Diff(CL) = 5 x (CL-30), CL >= 32, <=59

The function RF(CL) is an extra difficulty reduction factor added in patch 2.3. It is:

RF(CL) =       1,               CL <= 10
RF(CL) =       (1-(CL-10)/100), 11 <= CL <= 27
RF(CL) =       .82,             28 <= CL <= 59
RF(CL) =       1                60 <= CL

XP to Level can be described as the following function of the character level represented by x (if and only if the character is level 32-59):

XP to Level = (65x2 - 165x - 6750) × .82

XP to Level for levels 11-27 can be found by:

XP to Level = -.4x3 + 40.4x2 + 396x

For all levels lower then 11 the XP to Level can be expressed as the second grade function:

XP to Level = 40x2 + 360x 

The XP to Level for 61-69 is:

XP to Level = 155 + MXP(CL) x (1344 - ((69-CL)*(3+(69-CL)*4)))

For 60:

XP to Level = 155 + MXP(CL) x (1344 - 69 - ((69-CL)*(3+(69-CL)*4)))

Experience to level by level (current)

This table shows the character's current level and the amount of XP required to advance to the next level (e.g. "22: 24000" means that if you are level 22, you need a total of 24,000 XP to advance to level 23). This is a compilation of the tables below with all current values. This also shows the difference (percent change) in current XP requirements as compared to before Wrath of the Lich King. Note that this percentage, when added to one, is the same as RF(CL) (discrepancies are caused by rounding).

Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP
1	400		11	8700		21	22400		31	41600		41	78500		51	126100		61	317000 (-45 %)		71	1539000
2	900		12	9800		22	24000		32	44600		42	82800		52	131500		62	349000 (-43 %)		72	1555700
3	1400		13	11000		23	25500		33	48000		43	87100		53	137000		63	386000 (-41 %)		73	1571800
4	2100		14	12300		24	27200		34	51400		44	91600		54	142500		64	428000 (-37 %)		74	1587900
5	2800		15	13600		25	28900		35	55000		45	96300		55	148200		65	475000 (-33 %)		75	1604200
6	3600		16	15000		26	30500		36	58700		46	101000		56	154000		66	527000 (-28 %)		76	1620700
7	4500		17	16400		27	32200		37	62400		47	105800		57	159900		67	585000 (-22 %)		77	1637400
8	5400		18	17800		28	33900		38	66200		48	110700		58	165800		68	648000 (-15 %)		78	1653900
9	6500		19	19300		29	36300		39	70200		49	115700		59	172000		69	717000 (-8 %)		79	1670800
10	7600		20	20800		30	38800		40	74300		50	120900		60	290000 (-41 %)		70	1523800		80	—

Experience to Level by Level (Pre-WotLK)

This table shows the character's current level and the amount of XP required to advance to the next level (e.g. "22: 24000" means that if you are level 22, you need a total of 24,000 XP to advance to level 23). This also shows the difference (percent change) in current XP requirements as compared to before Patch 2.3.0. Note that this percentage, when added to one, is the same as RF(CL) (discrepancies are caused by rounding).

Selected data from above in graph form.

Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP
1	400 (NC)		11	8700 (-1.1%)		21	22400 (-11.1%)		31	41600 (-18.1%)		41	78500 (-18.1%)		51	126100 (-18.1%)		61	574700 (NC)
2	900 (NC)		12	9800 (-3.0%)		22	24000 (-12.1%)		32	44600 (-18.2%)		42	82800 (-18.0%)		52	131500 (-18.0%)		62	614400 (NC)
3	1400 (NC)		13	11000 (-3.5%)		23	25500 (-13.3%)		33	48000 (-18.1%)		43	87100 (-18.1%)		53	137000 (-18.0%)		63	650300 (NC)
4	2100 (NC)		14	12300 (-4.7%)		24	27200 (-14.2%)		34	51400 (-18.2%)		44	91600 (-18.1%)		54	142500 (-18.1%)		64	682300 (NC)
5	2800 (NC)		15	13600 (-5.6%)		25	28900 (-15.0%)		35	55000 (-18.0%)		45	96300 (-18.8%)		55	148200 (-18.0%)		65	710200 (NC)
6	3600 (NC)		16	15000 (-6.3%)		26	30500 (-16.2%)		36	58700 (-18.0%)		46	101000 (-18.0%)		56	154000 (-18.0%)		66	734100 (NC)
7	4500 (NC)		17	16400 (-7.3%)		27	32200 (-17.2%)		37	62400 (-18.0%)		47	105800 (-18.0%)		57	159900 (-18.0%)		67	753700 (NC)
8	5400 (NC)		18	17800 (-8.2%)		28	33900 (-18.1%)		38	66200 (-18.1%)		48	110700 (-18.1%)		58	165800 (-18.0%)		68	768900 (NC)
9	6500 (NC)		19	19300 (-9.4%)		29	36300 (-18.1%)		39	70200 (-18.1%)		49	115700 (-18.1%)		59	172000 (-18.1%)		69	779700 (NC)
10	7600 (NC)		20	20800 (-10.3%)		30	38800 (-18.1%)		40	74300 (-18.1%)		50	120900 (-18.2%)		60	494000 (NC)		70	—

The total experience needed to reach level 60 is 3,379,400. This is a decrease of 705,300 experience from pre-2.3.0.
The total experience needed to reach level 70 after level 60 is 6,268,300.
The total experience needed to reach maximum level (70) is 10,141,700 (3,379,400+494,000+6,268,300) .

Pre-2.3 Table

This table shows the experience needed to advance, by level, before Patch 2.3.0. The table shows the character's current level and the amount of XP required to advance to the next level (e.g. "22: 27300" means that if you are level 22, you need a total of 27,300 XP to advance to level 23).

Selected data from above in graph form. Regression fits are shown. Note general agreement with the equations given above.

Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP		Lvl	Max XP
1	400		11	8800		21	25200		31	50800		41	95800		51	153900		61	574700
2	900		12	10100		22	27300		32	54500		42	101000		52	160400		62	614400
3	1400		13	11400		23	29400		33	58600		43	106300		53	167100		63	650300
4	2100		14	12900		24	31700		34	62800		44	111800		54	173900		64	682300
5	2800		15	14400		25	34000		35	67100		45	117500		55	180800		65	710200
6	3600		16	16000		26	36400		36	71600		46	123200		56	187900		66	734100
7	4500		17	17700		27	38900		37	76100		47	129100		57	195000		67	753700
8	5400		18	19400		28	41400		38	80800		48	135100		58	202300		68	768900
9	6500		19	21300		29	44300		39	85700		49	141200		59	209800		69	779700
10	7600		20	23200		30	47400		40	90700		50	147500		60	494000		70	—

The total experience needed to reach level 60 was 4,084,700. The total for 60 to 70 was 6,762,300, making 1 to 70 10,847,000 points in total.

The total number of same-level mobs that must be killed to reach level 60 with no rest or quests was 16,971 which would take approximately 76 hours at 16 seconds per kill.

An amusing but probably not very significant figure is that the half-way point to 60 for raw experience point accumulation is 12,550 XP into level 48. Halfway to 70 for raw experience point accumulation is 344,500 XP into level 62. In actual practice, quests contribute significantly to XP so the half-way point is somewhere below this.

Rest XP

The maximum amount of "rest" that one can accumulate on a character is 150% of XP for the current level, (or 30 "bubbles") half of which is "earned" XP and half of which is "bonus" XP. This is because, every time you kill a mob, both the earned XP and the bonus XP is deducted from your rest. So, for example, if you are lvl 10 and 80% through the level (or 6080/7600) the maximum rest would be 11400. If you grind mobs until your rest is gone (and complete no quests¹), it will take you to level 12 at 1180/9800, or 12% through level 12, having earned 5700 XP from killing mobs and gotten 5700 XP "free" for being rested.

¹Quest (and discovery) XP does not count against your rest. Watch your rest marker when turning in a quest, and you will see it jump by the same amount as did your current XP.

Wrath of the Lich King

In , the XP needed to level (from 70 to 80) jumps again, but the amount of experience it takes to get to level 70 is reduced. The halfway point for 70-80 is 204100 XP into 75.

The below 60-69 XP Values are for Beta Build 9014 with the changes to 60-70 leveling for the expansion. The 70-79 XP Values are for Beta Build 8926.

Selected data from above in graph form.

Lvl	Max XP (%Change)	Lvl	Max XP
60	290,000 (-41.3%)	70	1,523,800
61	317,000 (-44.8%)	71	1,539,600
62	349,000 (-43.2%)	72	1,555,700
63	386,000 (-40.6%)	73	1,571,800
64	428,000 (-37.3%)	74	1,587,900
65	475,000 (-33.1%)	75	1,604,200
66	527,000 (-28.2%)	76	1,620,700
67	585,000 (-22.4%)	77	1,637,400
68	648,000 (-15.7%)	78	1,653,900
69	717,000 (-08.0%)	79	1,670,800
Tot	4,722,000 (-30.2%)	Tot	15,965,800
		1-80	26,106,500