Can MIN work with negative numbers and zero?

Yes, MIN treats negative numbers and zero as valid values. If your range is {-5, 0, 10, 100}, MIN returns -5 because it's the smallest.

How do I find the minimum salary for only the Sales department?

Use MINIFS to add a condition: =MINIFS(F2:F7, C2:C7, "Sales"). This returns the minimum salary where the department column equals 'Sales'.

What happens if my range contains only text, no numbers?

In Excel, MIN of a text-only range returns 0. In Google Sheets, it returns an error. To be safe, ensure your MIN range contains at least one numeric value.

Is there a difference between MIN and SMALL?

MIN returns only the smallest value. SMALL(range, k) lets you specify which smallest value you want: SMALL(F2:F7, 1) is the minimum, SMALL(F2:F7, 2) is the second-smallest, and so on.

MIN function

MIN finds and returns the smallest numeric value in a range or list, automatically excluding text and empty cells.

=MIN(number1, ...)

Generate a MIN formula

Describe what you need. The generator will reach for MIN where MIN is the right tool, and tell you when it is not.

Arguments

How MIN reads its arguments

Argument	Required	Description
number1	Required	A numeric value, cell reference, or range. MIN evaluates this and ignores empty cells and text within the range.
...	Repeating	Optional additional numbers, cell references, or ranges. MIN accepts up to 255 total arguments and returns the minimum across all of them.

Returns

A number representing the minimum value from the input.

Availability

Excel: All · Google Sheets: Supported

Worked examples

1. Find the lowest salary in the company

Employee ID	Name	Department	Salary	Status
1	Alice Chen	Sales	85000	Active
2	Bob Martinez	Engineering	95000	Active
3	Carol Davidson	HR	72000	Active
4	Derek Wilson	Sales	68000	Active
5	Eve Thompson	Engineering	105000	Active
6	Frank Lee	Operations	61000	Inactive

=MIN(F2:F7)

Result: 61000

MIN scans all values in the range F2:F7 and returns the smallest one. Frank Lee's salary of $61,000 is the minimum across the entire company.

2. Identify the earliest hire date

Employee ID	Name	Department	Hire Date	Status
1	Alice Chen	Sales	3/15/2019	Active
2	Bob Martinez	Engineering	1/10/2020	Active
3	Carol Davidson	HR	6/22/2018	Active
4	Derek Wilson	Sales	9/3/2021	Active
5	Eve Thompson	Engineering	11/28/2017	Active
6	Frank Lee	Operations	2/14/2022	Inactive

=MIN(D2:D7)

Result: 11/28/2017

MIN works with dates because dates are stored as numbers internally. It returns the chronologically earliest date: Eve Thompson's hire date of November 28, 2017.

3. Compare salaries among specific employees

Employee ID	Name	Department	Salary	Status
3	Carol Davidson	HR	72000	Active
4	Derek Wilson	Sales	68000	Active
5	Eve Thompson	Engineering	105000	Active

=MIN(F3,F4,F5)

Result: 68000

MIN accepts individual cell references rather than just ranges. Among Carol ($72,000), Derek ($68,000), and Eve ($105,000), Derek's $68,000 is the minimum.

Common errors

Which MIN error are you seeing?

Error	Why it happens	How to fix it
#REF!	The range references cells that have been deleted or a worksheet that no longer exists. For example, if column F is deleted but the formula still tries to use F2:F7.	Update the formula to reference a valid range, such as =MIN(G2:G7) if salaries moved to a different column.
#VALUE!	You passed a text string directly as an argument to MIN instead of a numeric value or range. For example, =MIN("100", "200") treats quoted strings as text, not numbers.	Reference cells or ranges that contain numbers, or remove text arguments entirely. Use =MIN(F2:F7) instead of =MIN("text", F2:F7).
#N/A	One or more cells in the range contains an #N/A error from a failed lookup function or other error. MIN propagates errors from its inputs instead of ignoring them.	Resolve the #N/A errors in the source cells, or wrap MIN in IFERROR: =IFERROR(MIN(F2:F7), 0).

Tips and when to use something else

MIN ignores empty cells and text values in a range, so it's safe to use on mixed data. However, if you pass text directly as an argument (not inside a range), it may produce an error.
MIN works with dates because dates are stored as numbers. A date like 11/28/2017 is internally 44229, so MIN correctly identifies the earliest (smallest) date.
When you need to find the minimum with conditions (e.g., minimum salary for active employees only), use MINIFS instead. MIN has no built-in criteria capability.
Use SMALL(range, k) when you need the second-smallest, third-smallest, or any kth-smallest value. MIN only returns the overall minimum; SMALL gives you more control.

Related functions

MAXMAX returns the largest numeric value in a range, ignoring text and empty cells. Useful for finding peak inventory, highest prices, or latest dates.MINIFSReturns the minimum value in a range that meets one or more specified criteria, useful for finding smallest quantities subject to filters.SMALLSMALL returns the k-th smallest value from an array, where k=1 gives the minimum and higher k values give progressively larger results.MEDIANMEDIAN returns the middle value in a sorted list of numbers, or the average of the two middle values if the count is even.AVERAGEAVERAGE calculates the arithmetic mean of numbers, ignoring text and logical values; returns a single numeric value representing the average.

Frequently asked questions

Can MIN work with negative numbers and zero?: Yes, MIN treats negative numbers and zero as valid values. If your range is {-5, 0, 10, 100}, MIN returns -5 because it's the smallest.
How do I find the minimum salary for only the Sales department?: Use MINIFS to add a condition: =MINIFS(F2:F7, C2:C7, "Sales"). This returns the minimum salary where the department column equals 'Sales'.
What happens if my range contains only text, no numbers?: In Excel, MIN of a text-only range returns 0. In Google Sheets, it returns an error. To be safe, ensure your MIN range contains at least one numeric value.
Is there a difference between MIN and SMALL?: MIN returns only the smallest value. SMALL(range, k) lets you specify which smallest value you want: SMALL(F2:F7, 1) is the minimum, SMALL(F2:F7, 2) is the second-smallest, and so on.

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Reviewed 2026-09-17