The distribution of the salaries at a small business is strongly skewed with many people making very modest salaries and a few making very large salaries. Which measure of center, mean or median, is a better indication of a "typical” salary at this business?
Answer
A
The mean is better because it is not affected by the high salaries.
B
Either one would be a good measure of a typical salary because they are the same value.
C
It cannot be determined without knowing the actual salaries.
D
The median is better because it is not affected by the high salaries.
Explanation
A few very large salaries pull the mean upward, making it higher than what most employees earn. The median is the middle salary and is much less affected by those unusually high values, so it better represents a typical salary. Therefore, the correct choice is “The median is better because it is not affected by the high salaries.”
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