One employee earns far more than the rest — should I describe salaries by the mean or the median?
Use the median.
Use the median. The mean adds everything and divides, so a single very large salary (an outlier) drags it upward, giving a figure higher than almost everyone actually earns. The median is just the middle value, so one extreme salary barely moves it — it still reflects the typical earner. Whenever data are skewed or have outliers (incomes, house prices), the median is the fairer summary; the mean suits roughly symmetric data.
Key point
The mean is pulled by outliers; the median (middle value) resists them, so it's better for skewed data.
Common mistake
always quoting the mean regardless of outliers or skew.
Memory tip
outliers/skew → use the median; symmetric data → the mean is fine.
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