MEDIAN Function in Excel – Find the Middle Value Easily

Sometimes, I don’t feel like using the normal average.

Because sometimes, the average doesn’t show the real picture.

For example, imagine you’re analyzing your company’s salary data.

Most employees earn in a normal range, but one person has a very high salary.

That one number can pull the average up and make the overall salary look higher than it actually is.

In situations like this, the AVERAGE function can be misleading.

What you really want is the middle value — the number that sits in the exact center when all values are sorted from smallest to largest.

In simple words:

You want the “middle number,” not the regular average.

And that’s exactly what the MEDIAN function gives you.

It finds the true center of your data — no matter how big or small the other numbers are.

What Is the MEDIAN Function?

The MEDIAN function in Excel finds the middle value from a list of numbers.

 If you have an odd number of values → it returns the middle one.

 If you have an even number of values → it returns the average of the two middle numbers.

The MEDIAN is very useful when your data has outliers — extremely high or low numbers that can affect your average.

Syntax:

=MEDIAN(number1, [number2], …)

Arguments:

• number1: First number or range
• number2 (optional): Additional numbers or ranges

You can enter:

• individual numbers
• cell references
• ranges

Examples:

1. Odd Number of Values

Numbers: 10, 20, 30

=MEDIAN(10, 20, 30)

Sorted → 10, 20, 30

Middle value → 20

2. Even Number of Values:

Numbers: 10, 20, 30, 40

=MEDIAN(10, 20, 30, 40)

Middle values → 20 and 30

Median = (20 + 30) ÷ 2 = 25

3. Using a Range:

 Sample Data:

Formula:

=MEDIAN(A1:A5)

Sorted → 5, 10, 50, 100, 200

Middle → 50

4. Text or Blank Cells Are Ignored:

Formula:

=MEDIAN(A1:A5)

• Excel ignores blanks and text
• Median of → 10, 20, 30
• Result → 20

AVERAGE vs MEDIAN – What’s the Difference?

Both AVERAGE and MEDIAN measure the “center” of your data, but they work differently — and sometimes one is more accurate than the other.

Here’s the difference in simple words:

• AVERAGE → Adds all numbers and divides by how many there are
• MEDIAN → Picks the middle number from the list

The problem with the average is that it can get affected by outliers — very high or very low values.

The median, however, stays stable and gives a more realistic center.

Example: Salary Comparison:

Imagine these salaries:

AVERAGE Calculation:

(10,000 + 12,000 + 200,000 + 13,000 + 14,000 ) ÷ 5

= 49,800

MEDIAN Calculation:

Sorted list → 10,000, 12,000, 13,000, 14,000, 200,000

Middle number → 13,000

Which one looks more realistic?

Of course → 13,000, not 49,800.

This is why MEDIAN is better when extreme values exist.

Simple Comparison Table:

When Should You Use Which?

Use AVERAGE when:

• Your data doesn’t have extreme highs or lows.
• You want a general overall figure.
• All values are equally important.

Use MEDIAN when:

• Your data has outliers
• You want a fair, stable center
• You want to avoid misleading averages

In One Line:

AVERAGE gives you the mathematical mean, while MEDIAN gives you the true center of your data – not a value pulled up or down by extremes.