Suggested answer to exercise: GPs' incomes, 2

Some GPs received an income of more than £250,00 per year from the National Health Service, whereas the average GP income was £94,000 per year.

Question 2. What would be the difference in interpretation if the average were the median rather than the arithmetic mean?

Suggested answer

In a positively skew distribution, the arithmetic mean usually exceeds the median.

If the average is the mean, the median will be less than £94,000 and hence even nearer to the minimum than is £94,000.

The distribution would be more skew if this average were the median income than if it were the arithmetic mean income.


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Last updated: 19 January, 2009.

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