get highest salary in sql code example

Example 1: n highest salary in sql

SELECT TOP 1 salary
FROM (
SELECT DISTINCT TOP N salary
FROM #Employee
ORDER BY salary DESC
) AS temp
ORDER BY salary

Example 2: sql find second highest salary employee

/* sql 2nd highest salary employee */
select sal, ename
from emp
where sal =
    (
        select max(sal) from emp where sal <
            (select max(sal) from emp)
    )
----------------------------------------------- option 2
select *
from 
(
    select ename, sal, dense_rank() over(order by sal desc) rank
    from emp
)
where rank =2;

Example 3: second highest salary in sql

SELECT MAX(SALARY) 'SECOND_MAX' FROM EMPLOYEES
WHERE SALARY <> (SELECT MAX(SALARY) FROM EMPLOYEES);


OR

Here is the solution for nth highest
salary from employees table 

SELECT FIRST_NAME , SALARY FROM 
(SELECT FIRST_NAME, SALARY, DENSE_RANK() OVER
(ORDER BY SALARY DESC) AS SALARY_RANK
FROM EMPLOYEES)
WHERE SALARY_RANK = n;

Example 4: 3rd highest salary in sql

Here is the solution for 3rd highest
salary from employees table 

SELECT FIRST_NAME , SALARY FROM 
(SELECT FIRST_NAME, SALARY, DENSE_RANK() OVER
(ORDER BY SALARY DESC) AS SALARY_RANK
FROM EMPLOYEES)
WHERE SALARY_RANK = 3;

Example 5: sql highest salary by location

/*  Highest salary by Department/Location   */
SELECT e.ename, e.sal, e.deptno, d.loc
FROM emp e
JOIN dept d
ON e.deptno = d.deptno
WHERE e.sal in
( 	
  	select max(sal) 
  	from emp 
  	group by deptno
)