In Excel, the mean is referred to as the average. To find the mean in Excel of a set of numbers you add all numbers within the group and divide the total by the count of those numbers. This is a concept that our Excel classes cover in great detail.
In the business sector, the mean is the most commonly used measure to find the average of a set of values. Take sales for example, it’s not uncommon to use the average sales from a previous year to predict future years’ sales.
However, the mean is only as accurate as the data being measured. If there are outliers in either direction they will seriously distort the average pulling it more to the side with an outlier.
The formula or syntax to find the mean in Excel is =AVERAGE(number1,number2…). You can manually enter the numbers into the formula or you may select a range of cells that have the numbers within them. The formula can also be found in the formulas tab within the ribbon, select more functions and average is in the statistical menu.
How Can I Find the Average in A Row?
In the following example in this Excel tutorial, we are evaluating our top ten salespeople on their quarterly sales for the year.
To find Amy A’s average sales for the year we could enter =AVERAGE(2500,3850,3500,5500) or =AVERAGE(B2:E2) both formulas would give us the same result of $3,837.50.
How Do I Find the Average in A Column?
To calculate the quarter 1 sales (column B) enter =AVERAGE(B2:B10) to get $4,200.00.
How Do I Find the Average in A Range?
To calculate the year’s average sales across all salespeople enter =AVERAGE(B2:E10) to get $3,655.56.
How Do I Find the Average in Non-Adjacent Cells?
To find the mean in Excel for the 1st Quarter Sales across the North District enter =AVERAGE(C2,C4,C8) to get $4,433.33. As you can see in this Excel course example, finding the mean is not exceptionally tough.
How Do I Find the Average of a Range and Cell?
Let’s say Herb’s 4th quarter sales were actually in the south district even though he’s normally within the east district. To find the average sales for the south district for the year we would need to include Herb H’s 4th quarter sales. Enter =AVERAGE(C3:F3,F9,C10:F10) to get $4,266.67.
The average function can also be used to find the average percentage, average time, and dates.
How Do I Calculate the Mean in Excel Time?
We know the average 1st quarter sales are $4,200.00 but what was the average travel time to get those sales?
=AVERAGE(D2:D10) shows an average travel time of 4 hours and 3 minutes.
How Do I Calculate the Average Percentage?
What is the average commission that the salespeople earn?
=AVERAGE(E2:E10) to see a 16% average commission.
How Do I Calculate the Average Date?
When do the salespeople typically make their first sale? =AVERAGE(F2:F10) shows the first sale is usually made by 1/31/17.
While using the average function is relatively simple and versatile there are a few types of data that will be ignored when Excel is making its calculations. This online Excel class covers this as well. Excel classes can teach you any of the fine points of Excel and its practical real-world applications.
- A blank cell will not be included in the average.
Note: entering a 0 within that blank cell will be included and may likely be an outlier amongst your data which will seriously alter your mean.
- Cells with text data will not be included in the calculations.
- Texts with boolean values, true or false, will not be included.
- Numbers that are written in text (one, two, three) will not be included.
Note: Using the average Function you can include written numbers and boolean values.
With these simple formulas, you should be able to calculate the mean in Excel. If you want to learn more complicated formulas, you should consider further Excel lessons.
Excel Classes Will Have the Program Doing the Math for You
Finding the mean of a range of values is something you probably learned in mathematics at school. But when you have a large spreadsheet filled with many values, it can be tough and time-consuming to calculate it all by hand. Excel classes teach students the formulas necessary to make quick work of these tasks. Online Excel courses are exceptionally efficient at teaching students how to make Excel work its hardest for them.
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