The SQL MAX() Function
The MAX() function returns the largest value of the selected column.
The MAX() function works with numeric, string, and date data types.
MAX Example
SELECT MAX(Price)
FROM Products;
MAX() Syntax
<p><code class="sqlHigh">
SELECT MAX(<em>column_name</em>)<br/>
FROM <em>table_name</em><br/>
WHERE <em>condition</em>;</code></p>
Demo Database
Below is a selection from the Products table used in the examples:
| ProductID | ProductName | SupplierID | CategoryID | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chais | 1 | 1 | 10 boxes x 20 bags | 18.00 |
| 2 | Chang | 1 | 1 | 24 - 12 oz bottles | 19.00 |
| 3 | Aniseed Syrup | 1 | 2 | 12 - 550 ml bottles | 10.00 |
| 4 | Chef Anton's Cajun Seasoning | 2 | 2 | 48 - 6 oz jars | 22.00 |
| 5 | Chef Anton's Gumbo Mix | 2 | 2 | 36 boxes | 21.35 |
Set Column Name (Alias)
When you use MAX(), the returned column will not have a name.
Use the AS keyword, to give the column a descriptive name:
Example
SELECT MAX(Price) AS HighestPrice
FROM Products;
Use MAX() with Date Column
The following SQL returns the latest BirthDate in the BirthDate column, in the Employees table:
Example
SELECT MAX(BirthDate) AS LatestBirthdate
FROM Employees;
Use MAX() with GROUP BY
Here we use the MAX() function and the GROUP BY clause, to return the highest price for each category in the Products table:
Example
SELECT MAX(Price) AS HighestPrice, CategoryID
FROM Products
GROUP BY CategoryID;
You will learn more about the GROUP BY clause later in this tutorial.
