Official pay data
Updated 15 October 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£21,970
Median
£25,056
75th percentile
£29,846
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to Sales and retail assistants; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
This guide uses the national benchmark for Sales and retail assistants to give a useful comparison point for a Sales Assistant role. It fits work that combines customer service at the till with product questions, returns, stock handling and displays. Compare the offer's actual duties as well as its pay.
Benchmark fit
The benchmark maps Sales Assistant to the broader occupation "Sales and retail assistants". That is a sensible match where the role includes ordinary shop-floor sales and service work, but the occupation label is broader than any one employer's job description.
Nearby titles: Sales Assistant.
Use the benchmark for a role with the duties described on this page. It does not make every job carrying a retail-related title equivalent, and it does not replace the employer's description of the post.
Role scope
A Sales Assistant helps customers buy products while keeping stock and the shop floor ready for sale.
Answer customer questions about products. · Serve customers at tills and deal with returns and refunds. · Unpack deliveries, replenish shelves, arrange displays, and price or rotate stock. · Take part in in-store promotions and keep the store clean and tidy.
Customers receive product information, till service, and help with returns or refunds. · Shelves and displays are stocked, priced, and maintained for customers.
Retail settings can include clothing, footwear, electronics, household goods, garden and pet supplies, and food and drink.
This guide uses Sales Assistant for a Retail Sales Associate whose ordinary work includes customer service and shop-floor stock tasks.
Read the range
A close match is a shop-floor Sales Assistant who answers product questions, serves at the till, handles returns, replenishes stock, and helps maintain displays. If an offer centres on a materially different set of duties, treat the occupation benchmark as a starting point rather than a precise match.
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Location
Supplementary regional median figures are available for selected UK regions alongside the national benchmark.
| Region | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Not published | £25,292 | Not published |
| East Midlands | Not published | £23,940 | Not published |
| London | Not published | £27,637 | Not published |
| North East | Not published | £25,013 | Not published |
| North West | Not published | £24,486 | Not published |
| Scotland | Not published | £25,245 | Not published |
| South East | Not published | £25,250 | Not published |
| South West | Not published | £24,691 | Not published |
| Wales | Not published | £24,480 | Not published |
| West Midlands | Not published | £24,935 | Not published |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Not published | £24,682 | Not published |
Regional figures are supplementary. The national benchmark is not a local offer estimate, and pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Beyond salary
Compare the offer on the same annual-pay and working-hours basis as the benchmark. Then separate guaranteed pay from conditional cash payments and from benefits, so that you are comparing like with like.
Ask what basic pay is guaranteed for the stated hours and annual period before comparing it with the benchmark.
If the offer mentions overtime, commission, bonuses, shift premiums, or other cash pay, ask which terms apply and whether the amount is guaranteed or conditional.
Ask separately about the terms of any pension, health cover, leave, or equity. Benefits in kind are not cash earnings and should not be folded into a cash-pay comparison.
Offer review
Questions
Source
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover Sales and retail assistants (7111) and full time employee jobs. Updated 15 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Sales Assistant vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
