cell a "bj" cell b "1.00, need to sum cell b1:b117 if a = "bj"

[john b]

trying to get the total of a cell based on the value in another cell. eg if
cell A contains the value "bj", the sum the value in cell b1:b117, where cell
a contains the value "bj", here is the formula I tried.
sum(if(a1:a117,= " bj", b1:b117)), this give the the total of cell b1:b117,
not what I want. tks for help jb

sorry missed the = first time I posted...

 

[Sheeloo]

Try
=SUMIF(A1:A117,"bj",B1:B117)

It will sum the cells in the range B1:B117 where the corresponding cell in
Col A is bj

 

[john b]

Thank you for the response. I see where I had gone wrong, I used = instead
of , after A117., works the way I required. tks again jb

 

[Sheeloo]

You had the right idea.
Here is the right way to use = sign (or > or <)

=SUMIF(A1:A117,"=bj",B1:B117)