Sales and retail assistants: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time sales and retail assistants in the UK earned a median £25,056 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 36% 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 (23rd from the bottom).
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £17,996; one in ten paid over £35,804.
Median full-time pay: women £24,009 a year, men £26,275 a year.
Most jobs here are part-time: 257,000 of about 1,000,000 are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 28.9% (from £19,433), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 831,800 people in this line of work, 13% 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 | £17,996 | £407.80 | £12.21 | £5,709 | £109.50 | £12.17 |
| 20th percentile | £20,866 | £446.00 | £12.30 | £8,631 | £168.70 | £12.21 |
| 25th percentile | £21,970 | £457.10 | £12.45 | £9,734 | £193.10 | £12.23 |
| 30th percentile | £22,686 | £465.50 | £12.56 | £10,660 | £208.80 | £12.30 |
| 40th percentile | £23,870 | £485.30 | £12.82 | £12,443 | £244.80 | £12.47 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £25,056 | £504.90 | £13.23 | £14,491 | £283.90 | £12.61 |
| 60th percentile | £26,482 | £532.00 | £13.69 | £17,113 | £334.30 | £12.88 |
| 70th percentile | £28,540 | £563.60 | £14.20 | £19,853 | £394.00 | £13.33 |
| 75th percentile | £29,846 | £586.60 | £14.59 | £21,774 | £434.00 | £13.65 |
| 80th percentile | £31,261 | £613.30 | £15.09 | £23,422 | £467.10 | £13.97 |
| 90th percentile | £35,804 | £701.00 | £17.43 | £27,733 | £545.80 | £15.37 |
| Mean | £25,977 | £541.40 | £14.18 | £16,086 | £318.20 | £13.60 |
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 | £19,433 | £393.60 | £10.01 | £12,225 | £232.30 | 1,086 |
| 2022 revised | £20,312 | £415.80 | £10.68 | £12,790 | £242.80 | 1,069 |
| 2023 revised | £21,274 | £448.10 | £11.50 | £12,689 | £249.20 | 1,011 |
| 2024 revised | £23,750 | £487.50 | £12.55 | £13,637 | £259.00 | 1,003 |
| 2025 provisional | £25,056 | £504.90 | £13.23 | £14,491 | £283.90 | 1,000 |
Sales and retail assistants by region
UK: 831,800 (± 35,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 109,700 | ± 13,100 |
| London | 92,100 | ± 15,600 |
| East of England | 81,900 | ± 12,300 |
| North West | 80,800 | ± 10,900 |
| South West | 75,000 | ± 9,900 |
| West Midlands | 72,800 | ± 11,200 |
| Scotland | 72,400 | ± 9,700 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 69,800 | ± 9,800 |
| East Midlands | 60,900 | ± 10,300 |
| Wales | 43,100 | ± 5,900 |
| Northern Ireland | 38,400 | ± 6,300 |
| North East | 35,000 | ± 5,900 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What sales and retail assistants do
Sales and retail assistants demonstrate and sell a variety of goods and services in shops, stores, showrooms and similar establishments. (ONS SOC 2020, 7111)
Also covers: retail assistant, sales adviser, sales assistant, sales consultant (retail trade), shop assistant, bacon hand, bakery assistant, beauty counsellor, book seller, bookseller's assistant, bookstall assistant, bra fitter, brand representative, bridal consultant, butcher's salesman, carpet consultant, cashier's assistant and cast member (116 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Discusses customer requirements, including type and price range of goods/services desired
- Advises customer on selection, purchase, use and care of merchandise and quotes prices, discounts and delivery times
- Advises customer making major purchase on credit terms and arranges finance as appropriate
- Receives full or partial payment, checks validity of form of payment, writes or prints bill, receipt or docket and packages merchandise for customer
- Arranges and replenishes goods on display stands, undertakes stock checks and assists with the receipt of deliveries from suppliers into the stock room
- Handles returns and deals with customer complaints
No minimum academic qualifications are required although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically provided on-the-job. Vocational qualifications in Retail Operations and relevant apprenticeships are available at various levels.
Related
Sales assistants and retail cashiers (median £25,055) · Retail cashiers and check-out operators · Telephone salespersons · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026