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

✅ What is the SQL IN Operator?

✅ The SQL IN operator filters rows where a column value matches any value from a given list.

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

✅ Works with numbers, text, dates, and subqueries.

✅ 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, ...):- A comma-separated list of values in parentheses.

✅ Text values:- Must be wrapped in single quotes — IN ('IT', 'HR').

✅ Number values:- No quotes needed — IN (1, 3, 5).

✅ Example 1 – IN with Text Values (Departments)

Find all employees who work in IT, HR, or Sales.

✅ SELECT Query:-

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

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 2 – IN with Numbers (Employee IDs)

Find employees with ID 2, 4, or 6.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE ID IN (2, 4, 6);

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 3 – NOT IN (Exclude Multiple Values)

Find all employees who are NOT in the IT or Finance departments.

✅ 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 50000.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE Department IN (
    SELECT Department FROM Employees
    WHERE Salary > 50000
);

✅ Result:-

✅ Example 5 – IN Combined with AND

Find IT or HR employees who are based in Pune.

✅ SELECT Query:-

SELECT * FROM Employees
WHERE Department IN ('IT', 'HR')
  AND City = 'Pune';

✅ Result:-

✅ IN vs OR – Key Differences

✅ Key Points to Remember

✅ IN = shorthand for multiple OR conditions — cleaner and easier to maintain.

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

✅ Numbers need no quotes — IN (1, 3, 5) is correct.

✅ NOT IN excludes all listed values — but beware of NULLs in the list.

✅ IN works with subqueries — dynamically filter based on another query result.

✅ Combine IN with AND — for powerful multi-column filtering in a single, readable query.

✅ NULL in NOT IN list = no rows returned — always exclude NULLs from NOT IN value lists.

✅ Common SQL IN Mistakes to Avoid