Managers and directors in retail and wholesale: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time managers and directors in retail and wholesale in the UK earned a median £38,447 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £592 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 150th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £25,597; one in ten paid over £75,791.
The mean, £47,631, is 24% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £34,445 a year, men £41,751 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 368,000 employee jobs, 88% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 28.9% (from £29,830), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 299,300 people in this line of work, 14% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,597 | £512.30 | £13.30 | £19,930 | £407.90 | £12.93 |
| 20th percentile | £28,561 | £573.50 | £14.30 | £26,016 | £512.10 | £13.75 |
| 25th percentile | £30,000 | £592.10 | £14.92 | £27,540 | £541.50 | £14.30 |
| 30th percentile | £31,382 | £612.30 | £15.43 | £29,474 | £574.90 | £14.91 |
| 40th percentile | £34,585 | £670.80 | £16.54 | £32,440 | £622.90 | £15.96 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,447 | £733.00 | £18.25 | £36,006 | £686.90 | £17.28 |
| 60th percentile | £42,838 | £821.50 | £20.65 | £40,689 | £766.60 | £19.41 |
| 70th percentile | £48,543 | £914.30 | £23.03 | £45,870 | £879.60 | £22.21 |
| 75th percentile | £52,498 | £974.40 | £24.51 | £49,897 | £926.60 | £23.71 |
| 80th percentile | £58,080 | £1,073.20 | £27.14 | £55,367 | £1,013.70 | £26.00 |
| 90th percentile | £75,791* | £1,404.80 | £35.82 | £73,084* | £1,348.00 | £34.90 |
| Mean | £47,631 | £876.40 | £22.16 | £44,349 | £811.30 | £21.67 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £29,830 | £585.40 | £14.54 | £28,430 | £562.80 | 400 |
| 2022 revised | £31,213 | £612.00 | £15.01 | £30,000 | £582.00 | 378 |
| 2023 revised | £33,130 | £658.90 | £16.08 | £31,498 | £623.90 | 368 |
| 2024 revised | £36,561 | £707.40 | £17.34 | £34,860 | £661.80 | 374 |
| 2025 provisional | £38,447 | £733.00 | £18.25 | £36,006 | £686.90 | 368 |
Managers and directors in retail and wholesale by region
UK: 299,300 (± 21,200), April 2025 to March 2026.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 42,100 | ± 8,100 |
| London | 38,600* | ± 10,100 |
| East of England | 38,400* | ± 8,400 |
| South West | 30,500* | ± 6,300 |
| North West | 29,900* | ± 6,600 |
| West Midlands | 27,900* | ± 6,900 |
| Scotland | 23,300* | ± 5,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 20,900* | ± 5,300 |
| East Midlands | 20,100* | ± 5,900 |
| Wales | 11,500* | ± 3,000 |
| North East | 9,600* | ± 3,100 |
| Northern Ireland | 6,700* | ± 2,600 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What managers and directors in retail and wholesale do
Retail and wholesale managers and directors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the operations of major retail and wholesale establishments in order to maximise business performance and meet financial goals. (ONS SOC 2020, 1150)
Also covers: car sales manager, manager (garden centre), managing director (wholesale, retail trade), retail manager, shop manager (charitable organisation), wholesale manager, area manager, bookshop manager, branch manager, butcher's manager, company director, development director, district manager, fishmonger's manager, florist manager, franchise director, managing director and operations manager (60 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Appoints staff, assigns tasks and monitors and reviews staff performance
- Liaises with other staff to provide information about merchandise, special promotions etc. to customers
- Ensures that adequate reserves of merchandise are held and that stock keeping is carried out efficiently
- Ensures customer complaints and queries regarding sales and service are appropriately handled
- Oversees the maintenance of financial and other records and controls security arrangements for the premises
- Authorises payment for supplies received and decides on vending price, discount rates and credit terms
Entry requirements vary from company to company. Entrants may possess GCSEs/S grades, A levels/H grades, GNVQs/GSVQs, a BTEC/SQA award, a degree or equivalent qualification. Entry is also possible through promotion after gaining sufficient experience. NVQs/SVQs in Retail Operations are available at level 4.
Related
Managers and directors in retail and wholesale (median £38,447) · Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport · Functional managers and directors n.e.c. · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026