CalcMedian Calculator
Last updated: 2026-05-09
Enter your email and download a PDF report with your results.
| Value 1 | Value 2 | Value 3 | Value 4 | Value 5 | Value 6 | Value 7 | Value 8 | Value 9 | Value 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muestra pequena | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Datos uniformes | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Datos dispersos | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Muestra grande | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Valores atipicos | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
What is the median and what is it used for?
The median is the middle value of a dataset ordered from smallest to largest. Unlike the arithmetic mean, the median is resistant to extreme values (outliers), making it the most representative measure of central tendency in skewed distributions. For salary data, real estate prices, or system response times, the median is usually more informative than the mean.
How to calculate the median
Step 1: Sort the data from smallest to largest.
If there's an odd number of values: the median is the middle value.
Position = (n + 1) / 2
If there's an even number of values: the median is the average of the two middle values.
Median = (value at position n/2 + value at position n/2+1) / 2
Step-by-step example
7 employees earn: $28,000, $35,000, $31,000, $95,000, $29,000, $33,000, $30,000
- Sorted: 28,000, 29,000, 30,000, 31,000, 33,000, 35,000, 95,000
- n = 7 (odd) → middle position = (7+1)/2 = 4th
- Median = $31,000
- Arithmetic mean: 281,000 / 7 = $40,143 (distorted by the $95,000 salary)
The median better reflects the group's reality than the mean.
Median vs Mean: when to use each
- Use the mean when data has a symmetric distribution with no outliers (adult heights, temperatures, standardized production times).
- Use the median when there are outliers or asymmetric distribution: salaries, house prices, household income, emergency room wait times.
Applications of the median across sectors
- Economics and salaries: Statistical agencies publish median salaries (not mean) to better describe the true distribution of income.
- Real estate: The median house price splits the market into two equal halves by number of transactions.
- IT systems: P50 latency (50th percentile) in web systems is the median response time.
- Medicine: Median survival in oncology indicates the time at which 50% of patients are still alive.