Suppose you are looking for a job. You interview with a company that has 10 general employees each make $100 per day, 7 assistants each make $400 per day, 3 managers each make $900 per day, and the owner who makes $1900 per day. The interviewer tells you that the average salary and median is $400 per day. This Company is offering you a job at $110 per day.

Question

Suppose you are looking for a job. You interview with a company that has 10 general employees each make $100 per day, 7 assistants each make $400 per day, 3 managers each make $900 per day, and the owner who makes $1900 per day. The interviewer tells you that the average salary and median is $400 per day. This Company is offering you a job at $110 per day. 
From what you have learned so far in calculating central tendency, which method would you use to make your decision and why?

PsyDAG · Answer

The distribution would be positively skewed, so it would not be true that "the average salary and median is $400 per day." I am assuming that the mean is your "average salary."

For a skewed distribution, the median is the best (most central) indicator of central tendency.

However, I don't have any idea of your qualifications for the various positions to lead to your decision.