SELECT * FROM (SELECT employee_id, department, salary, DENSE_RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY department ORDER BY salary DESC) AS rk FROM employees) t WHERE rk = 2. **Per-department**: PARTITION BY department. **Ties**: Multiple employees can share 2nd....
This medium-level SQL question appears frequently in data engineering interviews at companies like Bitwise. While less common, it tests deeper understanding that distinguishes strong candidates. Mastering the underlying concepts (partition) will help you answer variations of this question confidently.
Break this problem into components. Identify the core trade-offs involved, then walk the interviewer through your reasoning step by step. Demonstrate awareness of edge cases and production considerations - this is what separates good answers from great ones.
SELECT * FROM (SELECT employee_id, department, salary, DENSE_RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY department ORDER BY salary DESC) AS rk FROM employees) t WHERE rk = 2. Per-department: PARTITION BY department. Ties: Multiple employees can share 2nd. Single-dept: Only one 2nd per dept; dept with <2 employees returns no row for that dept.
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Analyze My Answer — FreeAccording 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.