sql query to find details of highest salary code example

Example 1: n highest salary in sql

SELECT TOP 1 salary
FROM (
SELECT DISTINCT TOP N salary
FROM #Employee
ORDER BY salary DESC
) AS temp
ORDER BY salary

Example 2: sql find second highest salary employee

/* sql 2nd highest salary employee */
select sal, ename
from emp
where sal =
    (
        select max(sal) from emp where sal <
            (select max(sal) from emp)
    )
----------------------------------------------- option 2
select *
from 
(
    select ename, sal, dense_rank() over(order by sal desc) rank
    from emp
)
where rank =2;