T-SQL reference › int, decimal, money

int vs decimal vs money in SQL Server

IDs and counts are integers. Money is decimal (or money). Divide two ints in SQL Server and you get an int: 3 / 2 is 1, not 1.5.

A safe average

SELECT AVG(CAST(total_amount AS decimal(12,2))) AS avg_order
FROM Orders
WHERE status = 'Shipped';

AVG on an int column returns int. Cast first if you want pence.

int — normal counts and IDs. bigint if it can exceed two billion.
decimal(12,2) — pounds and pence. Precision you choose.
money — works, but decimal is clearer in new work.

float for invoices

Binary floating point does not land on 0.10 exactly. Finance notices. Use decimal.

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