SQL BETWEEN Operator – Filter a Range of Values with Examples (2026-27)

✅ What is the SQL BETWEEN Operator?

✅ The SQL BETWEEN operator is used in a WHERE clause to filter rows within a range.

✅ It is inclusive — both the start value and end value are included in the result.

✅ It works with numbers, text (alphabetical), and dates.

✅ Sample Employees Table used in all examples:-

✅ SQL BETWEEN Syntax

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name BETWEEN value1 AND value2;

✅ BETWEEN:- Keyword — placed after the column name in the WHERE clause.

✅ value1:- The lower bound of the range (inclusive).

✅ AND:- Separator between the two range values — required.

✅ value2:- The upper bound of the range (inclusive).

✅ Example 1 – BETWEEN with Numbers (Salary Range)

Find all employees whose salary is between 5000 and 10000 (both values included).

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE Salary BETWEEN 5000 AND 10000;

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 2 – NOT BETWEEN (Exclude a Range)

Find all employees whose salary is OUTSIDE the range 5000 to 10000.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE Salary NOT BETWEEN 5000 AND 10000;

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 3 – BETWEEN with Text (Alphabetical Range)

Find all employees whose name falls alphabetically between 'ANNI' and 'POOJA'.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE Name BETWEEN 'ANNI' AND 'POOJA';

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 4 – BETWEEN with Dates

Find all employees who joined between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE JoinDate BETWEEN '2023-01-01' AND '2023-12-31';

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 5 – BETWEEN Combined with IN Operator

Find IT or Sales employees whose salary is between 5000 and 15000.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE Salary BETWEEN 5000 AND 15000
  AND Department IN ('IT', 'Sales');

✅ Result:-

✅ BETWEEN vs >= AND <= Comparison

Both give identical results. Choose based on readability preference.

✅ Key Points to Remember

✅ BETWEEN is inclusive — both boundary values are included in the result.

✅ Works with numbers, text, and dates — one operator for all three data types.

✅ NOT BETWEEN excludes the range — rows equal to the boundaries are also excluded.

✅ BETWEEN = >= AND <= — same result, BETWEEN is just cleaner to write.

✅ Always use single quotes for text and dates — BETWEEN 'ANNI' AND 'POOJA' and BETWEEN '2023-01-01' AND '2023-12-31'.

✅ Use standard date format — always write dates as 'YYYY-MM-DD' for compatibility across databases.

✅ Text BETWEEN depends on collation — results may vary by database. Always test in your environment.

✅ Common SQL BETWEEN Mistakes to Avoid