We often wonder why such huge numbers are shown in statistics. A part of the population believes in an unequal distribution of incomes, which means that somewhere at the top officials illegally fulfill their powers, others believe that against the background of the total number of able-bodied people, a small group with an income above the average is leading, which causes such statistics. In general, the way it is.
Distinctive features of the average salary
Before you start talking about the median salary, you need to understand what is the average salary and what is common between these two types of accruals. So, let's begin.
According to the Federal State Statistics Service, the average income in Russia is about 40,000 rubles, 50,000 in St. Petersburg, and about 65-70 thousand in Moscow. But such data seems a bit exaggerated to most network users, and that's why. In terms of average salary, one cannot trace the real dynamics of the standard of living of a group of people. Consider a classic example from economics. A tycoon with an income of 5,000,000 rubles a month came to an ordinary Russian village with an average income of 4,700 rubles and a population of 100 people. Since then, the average monthly income of residents has amounted to more than 50,000 rubles. Do you think the standard of living of the local population has changed? Naturally, no, except that the tycoon opened his own company in the village and raised the salaries of its residents.
In order to calculate the standard of living of an average large group of people, statisticians use two tricks: they drop 10% of the poorest and richest citizens and average their salaries or figure out the median income indicator. The second method is more common and is used much more often.
Median salary and its criteria
So that in this case there are no questions, we came up with a special calculation criterion called the median. This indicator is used in statistical reports, replacing the average. Median salary is a chart that most correctly reflects the real state.
Median salary in the Russian Federation
According to some statistics, if the median salary is 23-29% lower than average, then payments for 55% of Russians in a particular region of residence will be below the average by about 25%.
Based on the foregoing, the median salary in Moscow, according to the statistics of 2016, amounted to 51,000 rubles a year, in St. Petersburg - 34,500 rubles, in other regions of Russia - within 27,000 rubles.
But do not you think such indicators are slightly understated and untrue figures? Of course.
Analysis of Median Wage Indicators
According to the portal "Work.Yandex", the average salary in the Russian capital is 62,500 rubles. Although the statistics two years earlier were at around two times lower. So is the information reliable if in 2015 the picture had slightly different dynamics?
Could salary indicators in the Moscow Region so jump sharply? Opinions tend to be negative. Another thing is the percentage of shadow earnings that evaded the attention of Rosstat.
The experts, summing up, say that the trustworthy indicators published by Rosstat. Based on this, the average earnings of Muscovites is about 39,000 rubles and there are deviations of 20% (more / less) from this amount. Although the median is lower.
Relative to other regions of Russia. One can argue with the indicators published above, because a figure of 27,000 rubles is given taking into account the data for Moscow and St. Petersburg, which from an economic point of view account for about 33% of Russia's GDP and only 16% of the country's population. Discarding the capital factor, we will conduct a study and try to calculate the salary in the regions, using a simple system of equations:
x / y = 27,000 rubles; x - all the money of the Russian Federation, y - the whole proletariat in the Russian Federation.
Calculation: x (1-1 / 3) / y (1-1 / 6) =?; in this equation, 2 / 3x is the total amount of wages in the Russian Federation excluding Moscow Region and St. Petersburg, 5 / 6y is the total value of the proletariat in the Russian Federation excluding Moscow Region and St. Petersburg.
Based on this: 27,000 x 0.8 = 22,400 - an indicator of the median median income, not taking into account Moscow and St. Petersburg.
If your region of residence is Orenburg, Kursk, Krasnoyarsk, Tver, or another region of Russia, then most likely your salary does not exceed 22,000, and this is with a 50% probability.
Calculation Examples
We will deal with an example of calculating the median salary for 10 able-bodied people. For example, the dynamics of earnings of 9 people looks like this: 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, another one earns 10,000 rubles. So, the average salary will exceed 1000 rubles. But the median will be only 104 rubles. What is the median salary in Russia? Based on an example, we can say that the median is the salary of a person who is average in a row / list. Simply put, half of the people get less than his salary, the other half - more.
This practice is more common in EU member states. In our region, median wages are calculated a little differently. That is why many people have the question: "What is the median salary?"
One more example
The median salary is different from the average, and its indicators are almost always lower. Let's try to parse it using an example.
The organization employs 3 people: courier, accountant, manager. The daily earnings of an accountant - 330 rubles, a courier - three times lower, a leader - three times higher.
We calculate the average value of wages by the formula: (110 + 330 + 990) / 3 = 476.6 rubles.
Let's try to calculate the median. This concept means the salary of an employee in the middle of the salary list. That is, in our case, the salary of an accountant is 330 rubles, which, according to the considered example, is in the middle of the list. As you can see, the amount of median wages was an order of magnitude lower than the average.
Differences in the system for calculating median and average wages
In fact, everything is simple. The whole secret is in the employee’s career position, because a manager can receive a salary several times more than an accountant, but a courier will not bypass his manager in daily / monthly earnings. Cases of negative salaries are extremely rare.
Now about the most important thing: which of the indicators more accurately reflects the real amount of the wage plan - average or median?
Focusing on median income, you will find out how much the average Russian will earn, while the average salary shows how much money this person is willing to spend per month. So, considering indicators of the standard of living of citizens, the median wage can be considered a more informative indicator.
Special conditions
However, there is one “but”! Given that in our time the statistics on salaries in Russia become too old, it becomes clear that in practice median statistics can only be used in low-grade campaigns, that is, where no one will go into details. More than 70% of statistics that are freely available: regional indicators of wages, sectoral income, salaries in other states and at different time intervals are based on average income indicators.
There is one feature of the median salary: 27-30% below the average. Therefore, if necessary, the median wage can be calculated simply by calculating it from the latest average income indicators. This is only an approximate figure, but such data can be beneficial.
As you can see, there is still a difference between the median and average wages, and it is it that determines the differences that arise during the formation of statistical reporting on certain resources.