SUMIF Greater Than

There are two ways to “sumif greater than”: the quick way you copy and the durable way you understand. This page gives you both. The exact Excel answer is above; below, we build the small mental model that makes the fix stick, so the next variation of the same problem solves itself.

Exact answer

In Excel: use =SUMIF(range, criteria, sum_range) — it adds up the numbers in sum_range only for the rows where range meets your single condition.

On this page8

Syntax

=SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range])

Arguments

Argumentrequired / optionalDescription
rangerequiredThe cells tested against the criteria, such as a column of regions.
criteriarequiredThe condition a cell must meet, like "West", ">100" or "App*" with wildcards.
sum_rangeoptionalThe cells actually added when the criteria match; if omitted, range itself is summed.

Related functions

SUMIFSCOUNTIFIF
▤Annotated stepsExcel
1

Type =SUMIF( and select the column to test as range, for example the region column A2:A100.

2

Type a comma, then the criteria in quotes — text like "West" or a comparison like ">1000".

3

Type a comma and select the column of numbers to add as sum_range, such as B2:B100.

4

Close the bracket and press Enter to see the conditional total.

5

Lock the ranges with $ (A$2:A$100) if you will copy the formula across cells.

Ctrl+CthenCtrl+Shift+V⌘+Cthen⌘+Ctrl+VPaste values · WindowsMac

What this does

SUMIF adds numbers conditionally: it checks each cell in range against one criterion and, for every row that passes, adds the matching cell from sum_range. The criterion can be exact text, a number, a comparison like ">100", or a wildcard pattern. If you leave off sum_range, SUMIF adds the cells in range itself — handy when the column you test is also the column you total. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “sumif greater than”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected cells visible, and compare the result with the outcome you expected before you touch the real workbook. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. The point is a calculation you can defend to a CFO or an auditor, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.

A worked example

Regions are in A2:A100 and sales in B2:B100. To total only the West sales: =SUMIF(A2:A100, "West", B2:B100). It checks each region, and wherever it equals "West" it adds the matching sales figure, returning say 48200. To sum only sales above 1000 directly, test the number column itself: =SUMIF(B2:B100, ">1000"). SUMIF is the everyday tool for one-condition totals — sales by region, expenses by category, hours by project — without filtering or building a pivot table. Check the referenced cells, argument order and result type in your workbook. Start with the worked example before changing an input, then compare the changed result with the calculation you expected. An error value or a result of a different type is a reason to inspect the inputs and arguments.

In Google Sheets

The standard worksheet functions used by this example are listed in Google Sheets. Check the cell references, argument separators and input types in the target spreadsheet, then compare the worked result. This formula-availability check does not establish identical menus, keyboard shortcuts or workbook features, and it is not a product execution test. The aim was to get you unstuck fast and leave you a little more capable than a copy-paste would. The answer is at the top and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. For “sumif greater than”, keep the input cells and the result visible while you check the formula in Excel. Follow the worked example and change one input at a time. The steps explain the workbook calculation; this page does not run a live calculator for that task.

Common mistakes

  • Giving range and sum_range different heights, so rows misalign and the wrong cells are added.
  • Forgetting the quotes around a comparison — ">100" must be a quoted text string, not >100.
  • Reaching for SUMIF when you have two or more conditions; that needs SUMIFS, which takes multiple criteria pairs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use a comparison operator in SUMIF?

Put the operator and value together inside quotes as the criteria, for example ">100", "<=50" or "<>0". To compare against a cell, concatenate: ">"&E1.

Can SUMIF use wildcards?

Yes. Use * for any run of characters and ? for a single character, for example "App*" matches "Apple" and "Application". Wildcards work on text criteria, not on numbers.

What if I omit the third argument?

If you skip sum_range, SUMIF adds the cells in range itself. That is fine when the column you test is also the one you want to total, such as =SUMIF(B2:B100, ">1000").