How to Figure a Median Number
The median is a statistical term that is used in data analysis. It refers to a data point that has the same number of data points above it as it does below it. For example, if you are studying wages, and are looking at five employees who earn $10, $15, $20, $25 and $30 per hour, the median wage of that group is $20. The median is useful if you have some data that is much higher or lower than the average. In this example, if the highest paid employee earned $1,000 per hour, the average hourly wage would be extremely high, but wouldn't reflect the wages of the rest of the group.
Instructions
-
-
1
Examine your data to find out if you have an odd or even number of data points.
-
2
Find the data point in the middle, having the same number of data points on either side. If you have an odd number of data points, this is the median.
-
-
3
Find the two middle points if you have an even number of data points. For example, if you are looking at ages, and you have ages reported of 22, 24, 30, 34, 45 and 70 years, your middle two points are 30 and 34.
-
4
Add the two middle data points together and divide by two. This is your median if you have an even number of data points. In this example, 30 plus 34 is 64, and 64 divided by two is 32, so the median for this group is 32.
-
1
