Here is the short answer: the top of your screen should sit at, or just barely below, your eye level when you are sitting up straight. Your eyes should land on the top third of the screen, and you should have to glance down slightly to read the middle.
That is the rule. Almost nobody follows it.
Most people work for years with a monitor sitting two to four inches too low. Your neck leans forward a little to meet it, all day, every day. You do not notice until the soreness stops going away. Your head weighs around 11 pounds. Tilt it forward to look down at a low screen and the muscles holding it up work several times harder than they should. That is where the end-of-day neck ache comes from.
The exact height, measured (not guessed)
You do not have to eyeball this. There is a simple measurement.
Sit at your desk the way you actually sit when you work. Look straight ahead. Whatever your eyes land on should be the very top of your monitor. If you are staring at the wall above your screen, your monitor is too low. If you are looking at the middle of the screen without dropping your gaze at all, it is a touch too high.
If you want the number: your riser height equals your seated eye height minus the height of the monitor itself. Measure from your desk surface up to your eyes while seated. Measure your monitor's height. Subtract. That is roughly how much lift the bottom of your screen needs off the desk. Most people land somewhere around three to five inches of riser once you account for the monitor's own stand.
The other two things that matter as much as height
Height is the big one, but two more settings finish the job.
Distance: your monitor should sit about an arm's length away, roughly 20 to 30 inches. Larger screens want a little more room. If text is hard to read, do not slide the monitor closer. Bump up the font size instead and keep the screen where your posture wants it.
Tilt: angle the screen back about 10 to 20 degrees so it faces your eyes straight on, not tipped down. A small adjustment, a real difference for your neck.
If you work on a laptop, this is your fix
A laptop is the worst offender. The screen and keyboard are bolted together, so when the keyboard is at a comfortable typing height, the screen is far too low. There is no way to win with the laptop flat on the desk.
The fix is to raise the laptop or monitor to eye level and add a separate keyboard and mouse underneath. Your hands stay comfortable. Your eyes come up to where they belong. This one change is the highest-return upgrade most home offices can make.
Running dual monitors
Put your primary screen directly in front of you at the correct height. Place the second one right beside it at the same height, angled slightly toward you. If both screens get equal use, center yourself between them instead. The goal is the same: no craning up, no dropping your chin.
Why a shelf beats a stack of books
You can prop a monitor up on a stack of books. It works, technically. It also looks like a stack of books, wobbles when you bump the desk, and gives you nothing in return.
A proper riser does three things a book stack cannot. It holds the screen at a fixed, correct height that never shifts. It reclaims the space underneath, so your keyboard, a notebook, or a coffee slides under and off your work surface. And if it is made well, it looks like it belongs on your desk instead of like a compromise.
The Monolith Desk Shelf is carved from solid hardwood, not plywood or veneer, so it has the weight to stay put and the grain to actually look like something. It lifts your monitor to eye level and opens up the space beneath it in one move. It is the piece that quietly fixes the ergonomic problem while making the whole desk look more considered.
If your neck has been telling you something at 5 p.m., start with your monitor height. It is a five-minute fix that pays back for years.
Frequently asked questions
How high should the top of my monitor be?
At or just slightly below your eye level when you are sitting upright. Your eyes should naturally rest on the top third of the screen.
How far away should my monitor be?
About an arm's length, or 20 to 30 inches. Larger screens want a bit more distance.
Should my monitor be tilted?
Yes, tilt it back around 10 to 20 degrees so the screen faces your eyes directly rather than pointing up at you.
Is a monitor riser or a monitor arm better?
An arm gives you constant adjustability and is great if you share a desk or switch between sitting and standing. A solid riser or shelf gives you a fixed correct height, a cleaner look, and usable storage underneath. For a single seated setup, a shelf is the simpler, better-looking answer.
What is the right monitor height for a standing desk?
The same rule applies, but your eye level rises when you stand, so your screen needs to rise with you. If you switch between sitting and standing often, plan for that in your setup.
