Find the median salary
BeginnerMEDIAN helps you find the middle value in a list, which makes it especially useful when one unusually high or low number distorts the average.
In salary analysis, the average can move a lot when one employee is paid far more than the rest. The median is often a better way to describe the typical salary in that kind of list.
The basic pattern is:
=MEDIAN(range)
What you need to do
This sheet shows an employee compensation list in rows 2 through 9. The salary values are in column C.
- Click cell B11.
- Use MEDIAN to calculate the middle salary from the salary list.
- Look at the prefilled average in B12 after you finish.
When you're done, compare the numbers in B11 and B12 to see how the outlier affects the average more than the median.
Need some help?
Find the median salary
BeginnerMEDIAN helps you find the middle value in a list, which makes it especially useful when one unusually high or low number distorts the average.
In salary analysis, the average can move a lot when one employee is paid far more than the rest. The median is often a better way to describe the typical salary in that kind of list.
The basic pattern is:
=MEDIAN(range)
What you need to do
This sheet shows an employee compensation list in rows 2 through 9. The salary values are in column C.
- Click cell B11.
- Use MEDIAN to calculate the middle salary from the salary list.
- Look at the prefilled average in B12 after you finish.
When you're done, compare the numbers in B11 and B12 to see how the outlier affects the average more than the median.