--- title: "MAX (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "08/23/2017" ms.prod: "sql-non-specified" ms.reviewer: "" ms.suite: "" ms.technology: - "database-engine" ms.tgt_pltfrm: "" ms.topic: "language-reference" f1_keywords: - "MAX" - "MAX_TSQL" dev_langs: - "TSQL" helpviewer_keywords: - "MAX function [Transact-SQL]" - "values [SQL Server], maximum" - "maximum values [SQL Server]" ms.assetid: 9b002b69-ab5e-472d-b12e-dc2fbe35ef42 caps.latest.revision: 38 author: "BYHAM" ms.author: "rickbyh" manager: "jhubbard" --- # MAX (Transact-SQL) [!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md.md)] Returns the maximum value in the expression. ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md) ## Syntax ``` MAX ( [ ALL | DISTINCT ] expression ) OVER ( [ partition_by_clause ] order_by_clause ) ``` ## Arguments **ALL** Applies the aggregate function to all values. ALL is the default. DISTINCT Specifies that each unique value is considered. DISTINCT is not meaningful with MAX and is available for ISO compatibility only. *expression* Is a constant, column name, or function, and any combination of arithmetic, bitwise, and string operators. MAX can be used with **numeric**, **character**, **uniqueidentifier**, and **datetime** columns, but not with **bit** columns. Aggregate functions and subqueries are not permitted. For more information, see [Expressions (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/language-elements/expressions-transact-sql.md). OVER **(** [ *partition_by_clause* ] *order_by_clause***)** *partition_by_clause* divides the result set produced by the FROM clause into partitions to which the function is applied. If not specified, the function treats all rows of the query result set as a single group. *order_by_clause* determines the logical order in which the operation is performed. *order_by_clause* is required. For more information, see [OVER Clause (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/queries/select-over-clause-transact-sql.md). ## Return Types Returns a value same as *expression*. ## Remarks MAX ignores any null values. For character columns, MAX finds the highest value in the collating sequence. MAX is a deterministic function when used without the OVER and ORDER BY clauses. It is nondeterministic when specified with the OVER and ORDER BY clauses. For more information, see [Deterministic and Nondeterministic Functions](../../relational-databases/user-defined-functions/deterministic-and-nondeterministic-functions.md). ## Examples ### A. Simple example The following example returns the highest (maximum) tax rate in the [!INCLUDE[ssSampleDBnormal](../../includes/sssampledbnormal-md.md)] database. ```sql SELECT MAX(TaxRate) FROM Sales.SalesTaxRate; GO ``` [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)] ``` ------------------- 19.60 Warning, null value eliminated from aggregate. (1 row(s) affected) ``` ### B. Using the OVER clause The following example uses the MIN, MAX, AVG, and COUNT functions with the OVER clause to provide aggregated values for each department in the `HumanResources.Department` table in the [!INCLUDE[ssSampleDBnormal](../../includes/sssampledbnormal-md.md)] database. ```sql SELECT DISTINCT Name , MIN(Rate) OVER (PARTITION BY edh.DepartmentID) AS MinSalary , MAX(Rate) OVER (PARTITION BY edh.DepartmentID) AS MaxSalary , AVG(Rate) OVER (PARTITION BY edh.DepartmentID) AS AvgSalary ,COUNT(edh.BusinessEntityID) OVER (PARTITION BY edh.DepartmentID) AS EmployeesPerDept FROM HumanResources.EmployeePayHistory AS eph JOIN HumanResources.EmployeeDepartmentHistory AS edh ON eph.BusinessEntityID = edh.BusinessEntityID JOIN HumanResources.Department AS d ON d.DepartmentID = edh.DepartmentID WHERE edh.EndDate IS NULL ORDER BY Name; ``` [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)] ``` Name MinSalary MaxSalary AvgSalary EmployeesPerDept ----------------------------- --------------------- --------------------- --------------------- ---------------- Document Control 10.25 17.7885 14.3884 5 Engineering 32.6923 63.4615 40.1442 6 Executive 39.06 125.50 68.3034 4 Facilities and Maintenance 9.25 24.0385 13.0316 7 Finance 13.4615 43.2692 23.935 10 Human Resources 13.9423 27.1394 18.0248 6 Information Services 27.4038 50.4808 34.1586 10 Marketing 13.4615 37.50 18.4318 11 Production 6.50 84.1346 13.5537 195 Production Control 8.62 24.5192 16.7746 8 Purchasing 9.86 30.00 18.0202 14 Quality Assurance 10.5769 28.8462 15.4647 6 Research and Development 40.8654 50.4808 43.6731 4 Sales 23.0769 72.1154 29.9719 18 Shipping and Receiving 9.00 19.2308 10.8718 6 Tool Design 8.62 29.8462 23.5054 6 (16 row(s) affected) ``` ### C. Using MAX with character data The following example returns the database name that sorts as the last name alphabetically. The example uses `WHERE database_id < 5`, to consider only the system databases. ```sql SELECT MAX(name) FROM sys.databases WHERE database_id < 5; ``` The last system database is `tempdb`. ## See Also [Aggregate Functions (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/aggregate-functions-transact-sql.md) [OVER Clause (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/queries/select-over-clause-transact-sql.md)