Need SQl help

[powerbidev123]

Hi All

I need help with a SQL problem as desc below

Find the second highest salary from an Employee table without using LIMIT, TOP, or window functions.

[ShivekMaharaj · Accepted solution]

Hi @powerbidev123 ,

You can use a subquery to find the maximum salary that is lower than the overall maximum salary:

SELECT MAX(salary) AS second_highest_salary
FROM Employee
WHERE salary < (
    SELECT MAX(salary)
    FROM Employee
);

The inner query finds the highest salary. The outer query then finds the highest salary below that value, which gives you the second-highest distinct salary.

This also handles duplicate highest salaries correctly.