Reviewed by Aditya Kumar · Last reviewed 2026-03-24
**Using subquery with MAX**: ```sql SELECT MAX(salary) AS second_highest FROM employee WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employee); ``` **Using LIMIT/OFFSET** (MySQL, PostgreSQL): ```sql SELECT DISTINCT salary FROM employee ORDER BY salary DESC LIMIT 1 OFFSET 1; ```...
Pro-Move: Clarify 'second-highest' with ties (DENSE_RANK vs RANK). Red Flag: Using OFFSET 1 without DISTINCT when duplicates exist—wrong result.
This medium-level SQL question appears frequently in data engineering interviews at companies like Accenture, BCG, Cognizant, and 3 others. While less common, it tests deeper understanding that distinguishes strong candidates. Mastering the underlying concepts (partition, sql, window) 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. The expert answer includes a code example that demonstrates the implementation pattern.
Using subquery with MAX:
SELECT MAX(salary) AS second_highest
FROM employee
WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employee);
Using LIMIT/OFFSET (MySQL, PostgreSQL):
SELECT DISTINCT salary
FROM employee
ORDER BY salary DESC
LIMIT 1 OFFSET 1;
Using DENSE_RANK (ANSI SQL, most robust):
SELECT salary
FROM (
SELECT salary, DENSE_RANK() OVER (ORDER BY salary DESC) AS rk
FROM employee
) t
WHERE rk = 2;
Architectural Logic & Trade-offs:
Scalability: For tables >10M rows, ensure salary is indexed if using subquery; DENSE_RANK may require full sort—consider partition pruning if filtered by dept/region.
Edge Cases: Empty table, single row, all identical salaries—DENSE_RANK returns NULL for rk=2 when none exists.
Pro-Move: Clarify 'second-highest' with ties (DENSE_RANK vs RANK). Red Flag: Using OFFSET 1 without DISTINCT when duplicates exist—wrong result.
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According to DataEngPrep.tech, this is one of the most frequently asked SQL interview questions, reported at 6 companies. DataEngPrep.tech maintains an editor-reviewed database of 1,863 data engineering interview questions across 7 categories.