Income disclosure reference

Median vs. average in MLM income disclosures

Some disclosures use medians, some use averages, and some use both. This page helps readers check which measure appears in this site's company-specific summary data.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-18

Short answer

A median often tells a calmer story about the middle participant, while an average can be pulled upward by a smaller group of higher earners. Use this table as an index into the company guides, not as a ranking.

These entries reuse existing disclosure data on this site. They do not add new numbers. Open the company guide for source links, access dates, and the full context.

Company	Median or average labels in the summary	Company guide
Amway	Average annual earnings: $750 before expenses for U.S. IBOs at Founders Platinum and below	Read guide
Arbonne	Median (business-building consultants): $77 — for 85% of them	Read guide
Color Street	Weighted-average income: $965 excluding fees; $919 including starter-kit and eSuite fees	Read guide
doTERRA	No median or average label appears in this site's fact summary.	Read guide
Herbalife	No median or average label appears in this site's fact summary.	Read guide
It Works!	Average distributor income: $304 a month in commissions Note: A company-wide average; the disclosure does not publish a median. Excludes personal sales	Read guide
LuLaRoe	Median gross profit: About $1,046 Average gross profit: About $11,915	Read guide
Mary Kay	Commission-eligible average: About $214 (2025)	Read guide
MONAT	Median at the most common rank: $8 for the year All-rank average: $665 for all U.S. Market Partners	Read guide
Nu Skin	Active earning payment: 26.67% in an average month Average sales compensation: $178.75 per month across U.S. Active Brand Affiliates Reported as: Monthly average sales compensation before expenses; retail markup not estimated	Read guide
OPTAVIA	No median or average label appears in this site's fact summary.	Read guide
Pampered Chef	No median or average label appears in this site's fact summary.	Read guide
Plexus	Average (all ambassadors): $771 for the year Average (active ambassadors): $2,923 for the year Median: Not published	Read guide
Primerica	Average paid: $8,199 in 2025 Not shown: Recruits who paid to start but never got licensed; the median Reported as: Average payments, before personal expenses	Read guide
Scentsy	Median (joined within the year): $77.68 Median (with Scentsy all year): $466.56	Read guide
USANA	No median or average label appears in this site's fact summary.	Read guide
Young Living	Median (all Brand Partners): $0 for the year (average $778) Lowest rank: 73.9% of Brand Partners (median $0)	Read guide
Younique	Entry-title annualized average: About $190	Read guide

What is not clear from the disclosure alone

A median or average does not answer every question. Readers still need to know who was counted, who was left out, whether people with no earnings are included, and whether expenses were subtracted.

Questions to ask before joining

Is the figure a median, an average, or another measure?
Does the disclosure show the full distribution, not only a headline figure?
Are people with no earnings included in the number?
What ordinary expenses would come out before this becomes money kept?

Sources

This page reuses the existing disclosure objects from the income-disclosure library. Source links and access dates live on the linked company guide pages.

Correction request

To request a correction, email corrections@boringanddevastating.com with this page URL, the specific text at issue, and supporting public sources.

Related context: Average vs. Median Income and What MLMs pay.