Statistics - median intelligence?

Readers letters

I'm not sure how much CEngs or anyone else deserve to be paid if they can't do basic statistics

Catching up my reading with your edition dated 8th September I was surprised to find you published a letter from Paul Russenberger stating that the median of 9 CEngs paid £20k and one paid £90k was supposedly £55k. Presumably someone has already written in to object? If you can't do it any other way, write out the numbers in size order, put one finger over each end and then work in one step at a time from each end till you come to the middle. If there are two figures in the middle, take the midway point between them. This still works out at £20k, not £55k. (Just for sophistication, the "mode" would also be £20k) I'm not sure how much CEngs or anyone else deserve to be paid if they can't do basic statistics and no single reader of Professional Engineer or Editor can either.