SQL MAX Function

The SQL MAX function returns the largest value within a table or group. In this section, we’ll use the HumanResource.Employee table for our examples: 

Using the data above, MAX calculates the largest SickLeaveHours amount for the entire table: 

SELECT MAX(sickleavehours) MaxSickLeaveHours 
  FROM HumanResources.Employee 

When used with GROUP BY, MAX returns the largest value within a group. You can see this in this query showing the maximum SickLeaveHours by JobTitle: 

SELECT JobTitle 
 , MAX(sickleavehours) AS MaxSickLeaveHours 
FROM HumanResources.Employee 
GROUP BY JobTitle 
ORDER BY JobTitle;

Additional SQL MAX Resources  

To learn more, check out these useful resources: 

• SQL GROUP BY Guide
• How to Calculate a Running Total 
• SQL MIN Function
• The New SQL Server Approximate Count Distinct Function