A small design studio pays its six staff these monthly salaries (in ₹ thousand): 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 190. Which measure best describes the salary of a typical staff member, and what is its value?

Mean, ₹50 thousandCorrect answerYour answerMean, ₹23 thousandCorrect answerYour answerMedian, ₹22 thousandCorrect answerYour answerMedian, ₹23 thousandCorrect answerYour answer

Show the answer and explanation

CorrectNot quiteAnswer D

Correct answer: D

Mean = $300 \div 6$ = ₹50 thousand, but five of the six people earn less than ₹27 thousand.
The single large salary drags the mean up; the median is not affected by it.
Median = average of the 3rd and 4th values = $(22 + 24) \div 2$ = ₹23 thousand.

Worth noting

An extreme value pulls the mean towards itself. ₹22 thousand is only the 3rd value; with six values you average the 3rd and 4th.

Concept: Choosing the median when the data contain an extreme value
Typical timeTypical: 70 s
Your timeYours: —

The rule this testsMean, median and mode

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A small design studio pays its six staff these monthly salaries (in ₹ thousand): 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 190. Which measure best describes the salary of a typical staff member, and what is its value?

Explanation