Sales and retail assistants

£22,943

Average salary

Average annual salary UK 2020 | Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

32 hours

Average weekly hours

Average weekly hours UK 2019 | Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

6.33%

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate UK 2020 | Labour Force Survey

Definition: Sales and retail assistants

*SOC Code (Standard Occupational Classification): 7111

Sales and retail assistants demonstrate and sell a variety of goods and services in shops, stores, showrooms and similar establishments.

Common tasks include:

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.

Qualifications

No minimum academic qualifications are required although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically provided on-the-job. Apprenticeships and NVQs/SVQs in Retail Operations are available at various levels.

*Introduced in 1990, SOC is a multi-purpose common classification of occupations in UK. Jobs are defined in terms of skill level and skill content, including qualifications, training and work experience.

Employment status: Sales and retail assistants

Regional employment: Sales and retail assistants

Future employment: Sales and retail assistants

Top 12 industries: Sales and retail assistants

Alternative & related job titles: Sales and retail assistants

Attendant, room, show Salesman, warehouse Assistant, fruiterer's Assistant (retail trade) Assistant, dairy (retail trade) Assistant, services, customer (retail trade) Operative, kiosk (retail trade) Helper, part-time (retail trade) Player, team (retail trade) Salesman, milk (retail trade) Worker, retail Assistant, bookstall Hand, first (retail trade) Assistant, seedsman's Salesman, fish and fruit Consultant, food (retail trade) Assistant, off-licence Counterhand (wholesale, retail trade) Hand, bacon Salesman, TV Assistant, sales Associate, sales (retail trade) Hand, provision Associate, customer (retail trade) Assistant, newsagent's Counterman (retail trade) Assistant, florist's Consultant, fashion (retail trade) Salesman, meat Assistant, furrier's Seller, fish and chips Salesman, market (wholesale trade) Assistant, haberdashery Salesman, fish and poultry Attendant, stores (retail trade) Assistant, centre, garden Member, team (retail trade) Agent, laundry Boy, programme Operator, kiosk (retail trade) Seller, book Adviser, service, customer (retail, wholesale trade) Assistant, bakery (retail trade) Assistant, draper's Salesman, indoor Agent, cleaner's, dry Assistant, confectioner's Consultant, bridal (retail trade) Assistant, away, take Consultant, beauty (retail trade) Salesman (building construction) Seller, programme Assistant, operations (retail trade) Worker, shop Bookseller Assistant, merchant's Assistant, service, customer (wholesale trade) Assistant, stall, book Salesman, butcher's Salesman, counter Assistant, shop Help, part-time (retail trade) Salesman, shop Assistant, stationer's Seller, book (Stationery Office) Adviser, sales Consultant, furniture Agent, receiving, laundry Assistant, grocer's Associate, retail Assistant, NAAFI Shopper, personal Assistant, takeaway Consultant, cosmetics Counsellor, beauty (retail trade) Assistant, stores (retail trade) Consultant, carpet (retail trade) Stylist, personal (retail trade) Assistant, dairyman's (retail trade) Assistant, office, sub-post Assistant, store (retail trade) Assistant, bookseller's Assistant, customer (retail trade) Assistant, confectioner and tobacconist Assistant, pawnbroker's Salesman, bread (retail trade) Newsboy (bookstall) Assistant, office, post Assistant, retail Counterhand (take-away food shop) Consultant, sales (retail trade) Assistant, counter Cutter, cheese Assistant, perfumer's Adviser, customer (retail trade) Salesman, showroom Assistant, jeweller's Salesman, television Member, cast (retail trade) Server (take-away food shop) Attendant, kiosk Salesman, motor Dairyman (retail trade) Assistant, room, show Assistant (take-away food shop) Salesman, fish Assistant, kiosk Consultant, perfumery Member, team, customer Assistant, room, sale (wholesale, retail trade) Salesman, retail Assistant, service, customer (retail trade) Receiver (laundry, launderette, dry cleaning) Assistant, poulterer's Inspector, NAAFI Worker, shop (take-away food shop) Salesman, fishmonger's Counterman (take-away food shop) Agent, dyer's Worker, shop (retail trade) Assistant, floor, shop (retail trade) Assistant, delicatessen Assistant, mercer's Assistant, dealer's (wholesale, retail trade) Fitter, shoe (retail trade) Salesman (retail trade)

Equality focus: Sales and retail assistants

Breaking down the official government big data sources by gender, age and region. Hours and pay data based on full time equlivalent roles.