diff --git a/sqlglot/typing/spark2.py b/sqlglot/typing/spark2.py
index c734a740bb..9def31ec7a 100644
--- a/sqlglot/typing/spark2.py
+++ b/sqlglot/typing/spark2.py
@@ -12,33 +12,34 @@
     from sqlglot.typing import ExprMetadataType
 
 
-def _annotate_by_similar_args(
-    self: TypeAnnotator, expression: E, *args: str, target_type: exp.DataType | exp.DType
-) -> E:
+def _annotate_by_similar_args(self: TypeAnnotator, expression: E, *arg_keys: str) -> E:
     """
-    Infers the type of the expression according to the following rules:
-    - If all args are of the same type OR any arg is of target_type, the expr is inferred as such
-    - If any arg is of UNKNOWN type and none of target_type, the expr is inferred as UNKNOWN
-    """
-    expressions: list[exp.Expr] = []
-    for arg in args:
-        arg_expr = expression.args.get(arg)
-        expressions.extend(expr for expr in ensure_list(arg_expr) if expr)
+    Type inference for CONCAT-family expressions (CONCAT, LPAD, RPAD).
 
-    last_datatype = None
+    - All-BINARY → BINARY (the binary overload).
+    - Otherwise, if any arg has a known, non-array, non-binary type → STRING.
+      Spark coerces scalars (dates, ints, etc.) to string when mixed with a
+      string-resolving arg. The binary exclusion preserves the binary+unknown
+      case as UNKNOWN: Spark can't disambiguate the string vs. binary overload
+      there.
+    - Else → UNKNOWN. Covers all-unknown, binary+unknown, and anything
+      involving arrays (array handling is intentionally out of scope here).
+    """
+    arg_exprs: list[exp.Expression] = []
+    for key in arg_keys:
+        arg_exprs.extend(e for e in ensure_list(expression.args.get(key)) if e)
 
-    has_unknown = False
-    for expr in expressions:
-        if expr.is_type(exp.DType.UNKNOWN):
-            has_unknown = True
-        elif expr.is_type(target_type):
-            has_unknown = False
-            last_datatype = target_type
-            break
-        else:
-            last_datatype = expr.type
+    if arg_exprs and all(e.is_type(exp.DType.BINARY) for e in arg_exprs):
+        result: exp.DataType | exp.DType = exp.DType.BINARY
+    elif any(
+        e.type is not None and not e.is_type(exp.DType.UNKNOWN, exp.DType.ARRAY, exp.DType.BINARY)
+        for e in arg_exprs
+    ):
+        result = exp.DType.TEXT
+    else:
+        result = exp.DType.UNKNOWN
 
-    self._set_type(expression, exp.DType.UNKNOWN if has_unknown else last_datatype)
+    self._set_type(expression, result)
     return expression
 
 
@@ -72,15 +73,9 @@ def _annotate_by_similar_args(
         )
     },
     exp.AtTimeZone: {"returns": exp.DType.TIMESTAMP},
-    exp.Concat: {
-        "annotator": lambda self, e: _annotate_by_similar_args(
-            self, e, "expressions", target_type=exp.DType.TEXT
-        )
-    },
+    exp.Concat: {"annotator": lambda self, e: _annotate_by_similar_args(self, e, "expressions")},
     exp.NextDay: {"returns": exp.DType.DATE},
     exp.Pad: {
-        "annotator": lambda self, e: _annotate_by_similar_args(
-            self, e, "this", "fill_pattern", target_type=exp.DType.TEXT
-        )
+        "annotator": lambda self, e: _annotate_by_similar_args(self, e, "this", "fill_pattern")
     },
 }
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/optimizer/annotate_functions.sql b/tests/fixtures/optimizer/annotate_functions.sql
index 8799b883fc..d71e13bc1a 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/optimizer/annotate_functions.sql
+++ b/tests/fixtures/optimizer/annotate_functions.sql
@@ -257,6 +257,26 @@ UNKNOWN;
 CONCAT(unknown, unknown);
 UNKNOWN;
 
+# dialect: spark2, spark, databricks
+CONCAT('x', tbl.date_col);
+STRING;
+
+# dialect: spark2, spark, databricks
+CONCAT(tbl.date_col, tbl.date_col);
+STRING;
+
+# dialect: spark2, spark, databricks
+CONCAT('x', tbl.bin_col);
+STRING;
+
+# dialect: spark2, spark, databricks
+CONCAT(tbl.date_col, tbl.int_col);
+STRING;
+
+# dialect: spark2, spark, databricks
+LPAD('x', 10, tbl.date_col);
+STRING;
+
 # dialect: spark2, spark, databricks
 LPAD(tbl.bin_col, 1, tbl.bin_col);
 BINARY;