Beginner

353. Not Equal Operator

Learn how to filter records whose values are different from a specified value.

📘 Lesson 353 of 728 ⏱ 8 min 🎯 Beginner

The not-equal operator checks whether two expressions have different values. Common SQL syntax includes <> and, in many databases, !=.

Not-equal filtering is useful when a business requirement needs to exclude a specific category, status, or value.

Find employees who are not working in the IT department.

SQL 
SELECT
    EmployeeName,
    Department
FROM Employees
WHERE Department <> 'IT';

It is useful for excluding cancelled transactions, inactive customers, specific departments, or unwanted categories.

  • The standard not-equal operator is <>.
  • Many databases also support !=.
  • It excludes matching values.
  • It can be combined with other conditions.
  • NULL values require separate consideration.
What is the SQL not-equal operator?

The standard SQL not-equal operator is <>; many database systems also support !=.

Does <> return rows where the value is NULL?

No. Comparisons involving NULL evaluate as unknown, so NULL values need IS NULL or IS NOT NULL.

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