If a website combines salary data from high-cost major coastal cities with data from lower-cost interior states, what is the likely outcome for the resulting average figure?
Answer
The resulting average is likely to over- or under-represent both ends of the spectrum, making it virtually useless for targeted negotiation.
When location adjustments are not effectively applied, combining vastly different cost-of-living areas skews the aggregate average, resulting in a figure that doesn't accurately represent either locale.
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