Final Answer:
1) Chris's starting salary of $78,000 is below the mean but within one standard deviation of entry-level software engineer salaries.
2) This suggests that Chris's salary is slightly below the average, but still falls within the typical range for entry-level software engineer salaries in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
1) The mean salary for entry-level software engineers is $81,000, and the standard deviation is $2050. Chris's starting salary of $78,000 falls below the mean, indicating that it is slightly lower than the average for entry-level positions in the field. However, it is important to note that it is within one standard deviation of the mean.
2) Being within one standard deviation means that Chris's salary is still in a typical range for entry-level software engineers. The standard deviation accounts for the variability in salaries, and falling within this range suggests that Chris's salary is not significantly below the norm.