Annual Salary
£19,000 to £27,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Arts & crafts or Design or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Arts & crafts or Design or go back to all job sectors
Sales assistants serve customers at checkouts, re-stock shelves and price products in stores.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
There will be
1.9% fewer Sales assistant jobs in 2029.
As a sales assistant you would:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work at a store, in a stock room or at a garden centre.
Your working environment may be physically demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college course in retail skills or retail knowledge, to help prepare you for work as a sales assistant.
You could apply to do a Retailer Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship with a shop or supermarket.
You'll usually need:
You could start as a temporary sales assistant and work at the weekend or during a busy season like Christmas.
You could then apply for a permanent role after getting some experience.
Volunteering in a charity shop is a great way to pick up customer service and retail skills. To do this, contact charities about vacancies or simply drop in to your local shop and speak to the staff. Experience gained here could help you to find paid work.
You can apply directly for sales assistant jobs. It will be helpful if you have retail or customer service experience though this is not essential.
Some employers may want you to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), such as English and maths.
You'll need to:
When applying for sales assistant jobs, it can help if you:are confident about selling; have a positive and helpful attitude; get on well with a range of different people
You'll find opportunities in all types of retail, including clothing and footwear, electronic and household items, garden and pet supplies, and food and drink.
With experience and training you could:become a retail supervisor, departmental manager or store manager; specialise in after-sales customer service, visual merchandising or retail buying; start your own independent shop or stall
You'll need: