A variety of organizations, associations and government agencies report average salaries for many occupations. These statistics assist in understanding the economy, helping employers be competitive in retaining employees and give job seekers help negotiate their salary. The average salary, also referred to as the mean salary, is calculated using all salary data.
Average, or Mean, Salary
The average salary is calculated based on reported salaries of respondents. The average salary definition is to add the salaries in the sample together, then divide by the number of respondents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The result is the average salary for everyone surveyed. Average salary data can be for one occupation, industry, discipline, household, age, education level or based on other statistics. It is important to note that anomaly values may skew the average value.
Included Wages
When survey organizations compile data to estimate average salaries, it includes and excludes some information to more accurately calculate average salaries. To give an example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes base pay, cost-of-living allowances, hazardous-duty pay, incentives such as sales commissions and production bonuses, and tips. Generally, included wages are those promised by the employer through an employee contract.
Excluded Wages
Wages excluded often consist of jury duty pay, overtime, severance packages, shift differentials, company bonuses that are not included in commissions and other wage-related bonuses, and benefits such as tuition reimbursement. Because these types of income are often not part of an employer’s compensation package, they are not included in statistics for average salaries. Generally, these types of compensation are considered “fringe benefits”.
Other Salary Data
Along with the average salary, statistics often include median wages to analyze salaries based on percentiles. The median salary is the 50th percentile, or the exact middle, according to the Social Security Administration. Salaries not in the 50th percentile are lower than or higher than the median. The percentiles reflect salaries that may not be equal.
To give an example, the lowest percentiles may reflect salaries for those who are entry-level and the highest percentiles may reflect those who have many years of professional experience. Percentiles may also reflect salaries on a national scale and cost-of-living differentials in geographical regions. You can convert annual salary to biweekly paycheck by dividing an annual salary by 26 (the amount of biweekly paychecks in a typical year). You can also find gross monthly income calculators and other salary tools online to play with.
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