SQL IN Operator – Filter Multiple Values with Examples (2026-27)

✅ What is the SQL IN Operator?

✅ The SQL IN operator is used in a WHERE clause to filter rows where a column matches any value in a list.

✅ It is a shorthand for multiple OR conditions on the same column.

✅ It works with numbers, text values, and subqueries.

✅ Use NOT IN to exclude all values in the list.

✅ Sample Employees Table used in all examples:-

✅ SQL IN Syntax

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name IN (value1, value2, value3, ...);

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

✅ (value1, value2, ...):- Comma-separated list of values inside parentheses. Text values need single quotes; numbers do not.

✅ NOT IN Syntax:-

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name NOT IN (value1, value2, value3, ...);

✅ IN with Subquery Syntax:-

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name IN (SELECT column FROM another_table WHERE condition);

✅ Example 1 – IN with Text (Department List)

Find all employees who work in the IT or Sales department.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT *
FROM Employees
WHERE Department IN ('IT', 'Sales');

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 2 – IN with Numbers (Salary List)

Find employees whose salary is exactly 5000, 9000, or 15000.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT *
FROM Employees
WHERE Salary IN (5000, 9000, 15000);

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 3 – NOT IN (Exclude a List of Values)

Find all employees who do NOT work in IT or Finance.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT *
FROM Employees
WHERE Department NOT IN ('IT', 'Finance');

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 4 – IN with a Subquery

Find all employees who work in departments that have at least one employee earning more than 10000. (Using a subquery to dynamically build the list.)

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT *
FROM Employees
WHERE Department IN (
    SELECT Department
    FROM Employees
    WHERE Salary > 10000
);

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 5 – IN Combined with AND and BETWEEN

Find IT or HR employees whose salary is between 5000 and 10000.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT *
FROM Employees
WHERE Department IN ('IT', 'HR')
  AND Salary BETWEEN 5000 AND 10000;

✅ Result:-

✅ IN vs OR Comparison

Both give identical results when used on the same column. Choose based on readability.

✅ Key Points to Remember

✅ IN is shorthand for multiple OR conditions — same result, much cleaner code.

✅ Text values need single quotes — IN ('IT', 'HR'). Numbers do not — IN (5000, 9000).

✅ IN works with subqueries — WHERE ID IN (SELECT ID FROM ...) is one of SQL's most powerful patterns.

✅ NOT IN excludes the list — but avoid NOT IN when the list or subquery might contain NULL values.

✅ Combine with AND / BETWEEN — WHERE Department IN ('IT', 'HR') AND Salary BETWEEN 5000 AND 10000.

✅ Order inside IN does not matter — IN ('IT', 'HR') and IN ('HR', 'IT') return identical results.

✅ For very large lists (100+ values), consider using a temporary table and JOIN for better performance.

✅ Common SQL IN Mistakes to Avoid