How to Calculate an Average in Google Sheets (AVERAGE, AVERAGEA, AVERAGEIF)

Here's the catch. AVERAGE ignores any text in your range, but AVERAGEA sets text to 0 and includes it in the calculation. Point both at the same column and you can get two different answers, so the function you pick decides whether a cell like n/a counts as nothing or as zero.

The four average functions compared

Function	Syntax	How it treats text	Use it when
AVERAGE	AVERAGE(value1, value2 and so on)	Ignored	You want the mean of the numbers only
AVERAGEA	AVERAGEA(value1, value2 and so on)	Set to 0 and included	Text entries should drag the average down as zeros
AVERAGEIF	AVERAGEIF(criteria_range, criterion, average_range)	Only cells meeting the criterion count	You need one condition
AVERAGEIFS	AVERAGEIFS(average_range, criteria_range1, criterion1, and further pairs)	Only cells meeting every criterion count	You need two or more conditions

Here's what the text rule does in practice. Say A1 holds 2, A2 holds 4 and A3 holds the word none. AVERAGE(A1:A3) skips the word and returns 3. AVERAGEA(A1:A3) treats the word as 0, divides by three cells and returns 2.

Both AVERAGE and AVERAGEA are specified as taking a maximum of 30 arguments, but Google Sheets supports an arbitrary number of them. You can mix ranges and single numbers, as in AVERAGE(A2:A100,B2:B100,4,26).

Seeing the average without a formula

1. On your computer, open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
2. Highlight the cells you want to calculate.
3. In the bottom right, you'll see Sum: followed by the total.
4. Click Sum to see more calculations, then choose Average. The same list also shows Minimum, Maximum, Count and Count numbers.

Google notes this feature doesn't work for some number or currency formats, so if the figure looks off, use a formula instead. These steps are for a computer; Google's help has separate instructions for Android phones and tablets and for iPhone and iPad. The same box is the fastest way to sum in Google Sheets too.

Averaging only the rows that match one condition

AVERAGEIF checks criteria_range against your criterion and averages the matching cells. The average_range is optional: if you leave it out, Sheets averages criteria_range itself. Google's samples, as of October 2026:

• AVERAGEIF(A1:A10, ">20", B1:B10) averages the values in B where the matching value in A is above 20.
• AVERAGEIF(A1:A10, "<10") has no average_range, so it averages the values in A1:A10 that are below 10.
• AVERAGEIF(A1:A10, "Paid", B1:B10) averages B for every row marked Paid.
• AVERAGEIF(A1:A10, "<"&B1) builds the test from a cell, so you can change the cut-off in B1 without editing the formula.

The criterion can take any of these forms:

Test	How to write the criterion
Equals	"text" or 1 or "=text" or "=1"
Greater than	">1"
Greater than or equal to	">=1"
Less than	"<1"
Less than or equal to	"<=1"
Not equal to	"<>1" or "<>text"

Two or more conditions with AVERAGEIFS

AVERAGEIFS flips the argument order, and that trips people up. In AVERAGEIF the range to average comes last and is optional. In AVERAGEIFS it comes first and is required, followed by pairs of criteria ranges and criteria. Google's samples:

• AVERAGEIFS(A1:A10, B1:B10, ">20") averages A where B is above 20.
• AVERAGEIFS(A1:A10, B1:B10, ">20", C1:C10, "<30") adds a second test, so a row only counts if B is above 20 and C is below 30.
• AVERAGEIFS(C1:C100, E1:E100, "Yes") averages C wherever column E says Yes.

If you're moving a formula from AVERAGEIF to AVERAGEIFS, move the average range to the front rather than just adding a second pair on the end.

When the mean isn't the figure you need

AVERAGE returns the mean. If a few very large or very small values are pulling it around, Google points to other functions in the same family:

• MEDIAN returns the median value in a numeric dataset.
• TRIMMEAN calculates the mean excluding some proportion of data from the high and low ends.
• HARMEAN and GEOMEAN calculate the harmonic and geometric means.
• MIN, MAX, SMALL, LARGE and RANK find the edges and positions in a dataset, and MINA and MAXA return the minimum and maximum numeric value.
• QUARTILE, PERCENTILE and PERCENTRANK show where a value sits in the spread.

For conditional totals and counts rather than averages, SUMIF and COUNTIF follow the same pattern as AVERAGEIF, and SUMIFS and COUNTIFS follow AVERAGEIFS. Google lists a BigQuery version of AVERAGE, AVERAGEIF and AVERAGEIFS as well. If you're showing an average as a share of a target, here's how to work out a percentage in Google Sheets.

Which average I'd reach for

I'd use plain AVERAGE for almost everything, because ignoring stray text is usually what you want. I'd only switch to AVERAGEA when a text entry should count as a zero, like a missed week that ought to drag the figure down. For one condition, AVERAGEIF; for two or more, AVERAGEIFS with the average range first. And if you just want a quick look, highlight the cells and read it from the Sum box in the corner. To tidy the result to fewer decimal places, here's how to round in Google Sheets.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between AVERAGE and AVERAGEA in Google Sheets?

AVERAGE ignores any text in the value arguments. AVERAGEA sets text to 0 and includes it in the calculation.

Is the average range optional in AVERAGEIF?

Yes. If average_range isn't included, criteria_range is used for the average instead.

How many values can AVERAGE take in Google Sheets?

AVERAGE is specified as taking a maximum of 30 arguments, but Google Sheets supports an arbitrary number of arguments for it.

Can I see an average without writing a formula?

Yes. Highlight the cells, click Sum in the bottom right and choose Average. It doesn't work for some number or currency formats.

How do I average with more than one condition?

Use AVERAGEIFS, with the range to average first, then each criteria range followed by its criterion.

Does AVERAGE give the median in Google Sheets?

No. AVERAGE returns the mean, the sum of the values divided by the number of values. To calculate the median, use MEDIAN.