MySQL MAX() Function (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 28 Mar, 2026

The MySQL MAX() function returns the highest value from a specified column in a table. It is commonly used to quickly identify the largest value within a dataset, especially in numeric or date columns.

• Returns the maximum value from numeric, date, or comparable data types.
• Can be combined with WHERE to filter results before finding the maximum value.
• Works with GROUP BY to find the highest value within each group.

**Syntax:

MAX(expression)

• **expression: It is used to specify the column or expression whose maximum value is to be returned.
• Returns a single value representing the maximum.

Working with the MySQL MAX() Function

The following examples show how the MAX() function works with different columns and conditions. First, we will create a demo table on which the MAX() function will be applied:

employees Table

Example 1: Returning the Maximum Salary

In this example, this query retrieves the highest salary from the salary column in the employees table.

**Query:

SELECT MAX(salary) AS max_salary FROM employees;

**Output:

• MAX(salary) finds the highest value from the salary column.
• AS max_salary assigns a readable alias to the result.

Example 2: Returning the Most Recent Hire Date

In this example, this query retrieves the most recent hire date from the hire_date column as latest_hire.

**Query:

SELECT MAX(hire_date) AS latest_hire FROM employees;

**Output:

• MAX(hire_date) returns the latest (most recent) date.
• Useful for identifying the newest record in a dataset.

Example 3: Returning Maximum Salary for Employees Hired After 2021

In this example, this query retrieves the highest salary for employees hired after January 1, 2021.

**Query:

SELECT MAX(salary) AS max_salary FROM employees WHERE hire_date > '2021-01-01';

**Output:

• WHERE filters records to include only employees hired after 2021.
• MAX(salary) then finds the highest salary within the filtered data.