This page is a quick reference checkpoint for RANK in SQL Server: behavior, syntax rules, edge cases, and a minimal example; plus the official vendor documentation.
RANK assigns a ranking number to each row, giving equal values the same rank and leaving gaps after ties.
Assigns the same rank to tied rows, leaving gaps in subsequent rankings; requires ORDER BY; NULLs sort lowest.
If this behavior feels unintuitive, the tutorial below explains the underlying pattern step-by-step.
RANK() OVER ( [ PARTITION BY ... ] ORDER BY ... )
SELECT department, salary, RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY department ORDER BY salary DESC) AS salary_rank FROM employees;
If you came here to confirm syntax, you’re done. If you came here to get better at window functions, choose your next step.
RANK is part of a bigger window-function pattern. If you want the “why”, start here: Ranking Functions
Reading docs is useful. Writing the query correctly under pressure is the skill.
For the authoritative spec, use the vendor docs. This page is the fast “sanity check”.
View SQL Server Documentation →Looking for more functions across all SQL dialects? Visit the full SQL Dialects & Window Functions Documentation.