Returns the largest value among the rows.
MAX(<expression>)
An aggregate function: it returns the largest value from a group of rows. It works not only with numbers but also with dates (the latest) and text (the last alphabetically). It skips NULL. To find the smallest value, use MIN.
employees
| name | department | salary | bonus | phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma | backend | 1200 | 300 | +44 7700 900123 |
| Liam | backend | 1000 | NULL | NULL |
| Olivia | frontend | 1350 | 150 | +44 7700 900456 |
| Noah | frontend | 950 | NULL | +44 7700 900789 |
| Sophia | design | 1200 | 200 | NULL |
orders
| id | created_at | amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026-07-03 10:15:00 | 120.50 |
| 2 | 2026-07-28 18:40:00 | 80.25 |
| 3 | 2026-08-09 09:05:00 | 199.99 |
| 4 | 2026-08-21 14:30:00 | 45.00 |
| 5 | 2026-09-02 11:00:00 | 64.75 |
These tables already exist in the sandbox — the examples below use them. Want to try this in your own database? Copy the SQL.
| highest |
|---|
| 1350 |
| last_order |
|---|
| 2026-09-02 11:00:00 |
| department | highest |
|---|---|
| backend | 1200 |
| design | 1200 |
| frontend | 1350 |
MAX gives a value, not a row. SELECT name, MAX(salary) FROM employees is an error, because name isn't in GROUP BY. Who exactly earns the most is shown by ORDER BY salary DESC LIMIT 1 or a subquery.
Numbers stored as text are compared as text: of '9' and '10', the larger is '9'.
Don't confuse it with GREATEST: that one compares several values within one row.