Retail cashiers and check-out operators: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time retail cashiers and check-out operators in the UK earned a median £24,622 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 37% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (18th from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £21,251 and £27,456.
Median full-time pay: women £23,173 a year, men £26,147 a year.
Full-time paid hours are shorter than usual, a median of 34.5 a week.
Most jobs here are part-time: 12,000 of about 60,000 are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 32.5% (from £18,580), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 134,600 people in this line of work, 16% 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 | £17,866* | £378.90 | – | £6,214 | £109.50 | – |
| 20th percentile | £20,138 | £413.00 | – | £8,275 | £146.40 | – |
| 25th percentile | £21,251 | £434.40 | £12.21 | £9,105 | £163.50 | £12.21 |
| 30th percentile | £21,900 | £458.10 | £12.34 | £10,307 | £190.00 | £12.30 |
| 40th percentile | £23,220 | £465.00 | £12.75 | £12,280 | £234.50 | £12.75 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £24,622 | £475.10 | £13.47 | £14,018 | £267.20 | £13.37 |
| 60th percentile | £25,515 | £511.50 | £13.76 | £15,491 | £297.10 | £13.48 |
| 70th percentile | £26,823 | £530.90 | £14.56 | £17,860 | £349.30 | £13.48 |
| 75th percentile | £27,456 | £540.70 | £14.83 | £18,981 | £371.80 | £13.74 |
| 80th percentile | – | £557.40 | £15.06* | £20,840 | £407.80 | £14.56 |
| 90th percentile | – | – | – | – | £490.00* | £15.06 |
| Mean | £24,294 | £501.30 | £13.99 | £14,690 | £284.60 | £13.54 |
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 | £18,580 | £360.70 | £9.52 | £10,531 | £192.60 | 97 |
| 2022 revised | £18,450 | £392.70 | £10.04 | £10,458 | £195.10 | 63 |
| 2023 revised | £18,674 | £387.50 | £10.60 | £11,371 | £213.30 | 41 |
| 2024 revised | £22,600 | £441.80 | £11.74 | £11,640 | £220.50 | 57 |
| 2025 provisional | £24,622 | £475.10 | £13.47 | £14,018 | £267.20 | 60 |
Retail cashiers and check-out operators by region
UK: 134,600 (± 14,200), April 2025 to March 2026. 6 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 21,800* | ± 5,900 |
| Scotland | 15,700* | ± 4,500 |
| East of England | 15,500* | ± 5,400 |
| North West | 13,700* | ± 4,500 |
| South West | 10,300* | ± 3,600 |
| Wales | 6,700* | ± 2,300 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What retail cashiers and check-out operators do
Retail cashiers and check-out operators accept payments from customers and give change in respect of sales or services. (ONS SOC 2020, 7112)
Also covers: cashier (wholesale trade), check-out operator, customer team member (retail trade), forecourt attendant, general assistant (check-out: retail trade), till operator, cashier (cafe), cashier (canteen), cashier (restaurant), checkout assistant, checkout cashier, checkout clerk, checkout operative, checkout operator, chief cashier, consol operator, console operator and CTM (checkout) (61 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Records cost of each item on cash register or by use of bar code reader and totals the amount to be paid
- Receives cash, cheque or debit or credit card payment, checks validity of form of payment, gives change and issues receipts for purchase
- Debits customer’s account in respect of purchases or services
- Monitors fuel taken by self-service customers or refuels vehicle if required
- Maintains transaction records as requested
There are no minimum academic requirements although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades or relevant experience. Training is typically provided on-the-job. Vocational Operations in Retail Operations are available at levels 1 and 2.
Related
Sales assistants and retail cashiers (median £25,055) · Sales and retail assistants · Telephone salespersons · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026