MEDIAN Function
The middle value, which the outlier cannot move.
Task:
These are the same five invoices you averaged earlier, where the mean came out at 2092. Put the median in B7, and see which of the two numbers you would actually be willing to quote.
Learning Objectives:
- Compute a median over a range
- See how a median resists an outlier
- Choose between mean and median deliberately
Solve without hints for +5 XP
The data in this exercise
This is the grid you start with. Cell references in the task — B6, C2 — point at the row numbers and column letters below.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job | Invoiced |
| 2 | Logo refresh | 450 |
| 3 | Brochure | 520 |
| 4 | Website copy | 480 |
| 5 | Packaging | 610 |
| 6 | Rebrand programme | 8400 |
| 7 | Median |
What this exercise teaches (contains the answer)
The median is 520 where the mean was 2092. Both are honest arithmetic on the same five numbers, and they differ fourfold because one job was more than thirteen times the size of any other. The median does not care how extreme the extreme value is — move the rebrand from 8400 to 84,000 and it is still 520 — which is exactly why it is the number to quote for a typical job.