Why do we use average size when determining weight and clothing size but median when considering salary?

[Anonymous]

disclaimer, I am talking about the USA. Specific numbers are female dress size.

We use median household income to determine the average salary of the US family.

For those not currently in a math class, let me remind you.

Mean, Median, Mode. Mean is the mathematical average, Median is the middle number. Mode is the most common number.

So, when we consider salary, we use median because the Mean will not find the true average as their are outliers. Namely Lebron James and the CEOs of Bank of America and CITI Group.

If we calculated the mean salary of the USA, it would probably be like 350 thousand dollars!

Do any of you make $350K? No? OK, so that is obviously not accurate. Therefore we use the Median, because that gives us a more accurate number of like 60K ish probably.

So let us go to weight. doesn't this same concept apply?

Something like 10% of the population in the USA are Obese.

The average womens size is like 14? WTF? I don't know any women who are that size and I rarely see them! I would guess the average size is around 7 or 8.

The problem? MEAN.

When finding the average women's size we use mean and then it comes out to like 14. Why the hell do we do that? The Median and mode size is probably 7-8.

So the question is. Look at yourself, and your friends and all the girls that you know. ARE MOST OF THEM SIZE 14? If not, what size are they?

Why use median with household salary to get rid of outliers ruining the statistic and not use median when determining average size?

[523206720]

Because the median salary is more accurate. Like in the United states - 2% of America has 98% of America's wealth. The average salary in America is around 80 000 dollars but the median salary is around $25 000 dollars. So the median better reflects the average person.

[Asker]

but the Median also better reflects the average female size I imagine.

Just like the mean size is around 14, but the median size would be around 8. It better reflects. So why do we use the mean system?

The other guy suggested that women over 30 are particularly bigger, and I can see that being a factor, so we should have two scales!

I just get sick of women telling me a size 5 girl is too skinny because the average is size 14. That is bonkers!

[shadowscapes]

Because the outliers of weight are much less than the outliers of economics.

Keep in mind it's also a matter of age. You'll find a lot less size 14's in women who are under 30 than women who are over 30.

[Asker]

Then why don't we use two different sets?

I imagine outliers of weight do make a difference.

Yes, salary makes it seem like everyone makes 5-6 times more money.

But the outliers of weight/size make it seem like the size is 3-4 higher. And THAT is the difference I am looking for!

[shadowscapes]

im not in anyway disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that there would need to be 40,000 pound women out there to make your comparison as significant

[Asker]

Of course the comparison would not be as significant.

I just want people to know the average dress size is not 12, it is like 7 or 8. That IS a significant change according to statistics.

Remember, the significance is chosen by the statistician and a board of people analyzing. So, it is usually +/- .01 or .05. Here the significance to me is just one or 2 sizes, and it WOULD reach that. So therefore it is significant.