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Can CASE statements be used in an UPDATE query?

SQLeasy0.2 min readPremium

**Yes.** CASE in SET for conditional update. Include ELSE to avoid unintended NULLs. UPDATE employees SET salary = CASE WHEN perf = 'excellent' THEN salary * 1.1 WHEN perf = 'good' THEN salary * 1.05 ELSE salary END WHERE dept_id = 10;

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Frequency
Low
Asked at 1 company
Category
487
questions in SQL
Difficulty Split
130E|271M|86H
in this category
Total Bank
1,863
across 7 categories
Asked at these companies
Fossil Group

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Expert Answer
42 words

Yes. CASE in SET for conditional update. Include ELSE to avoid unintended NULLs.

UPDATE employees
SET salary = CASE
WHEN perf = 'excellent' THEN salary * 1.1
WHEN perf = 'good' THEN salary * 1.05
ELSE salary
END
WHERE dept_id = 10;

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According to DataEngPrep.tech, this is one of the most frequently asked SQL interview questions, reported at 1 company. DataEngPrep.tech maintains a curated database of 1,863+ real data engineering interview questions across 7 categories, verified by industry professionals.

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