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Retail

Sales administrator

Sales administrators process sales orders and payments, arrange deliveries and offer after-sales support to customers.

Annual Salary

£22,000 to £28,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

38 to 40 a week

You could work: weekends;

1.9%
Future employment

There will be 1.9% fewer Sales administrator jobs in 2029.

Day to day tasks

As a sales administrator you could:

  • answer customer enquiries over the phone, by email and face to face
  • take and process customer orders and payments
  • do credit checks, raise invoices and deal with paperwork
  • update customer records
  • check stock and re-order supplies
  • organise deliveries
  • provide after-sales support
  • type up documents like letters and reports

Working environment

You could work in an office or in a contact centre.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly
College

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job.

Relevant courses include:

  • business and administration
  • sales and account management
  • T Level in Management and Administration

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
  • search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship

You could get into this job by applying to do a Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work

You may be able to work your way into this role by starting as a receptionist or administration assistant and learning on the job.

Direct application

You could apply directly if you've got the relevant skills and knowledge needed to do this job.

Some employers may ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths, or equivalent qualifications.

Customer service and IT skills will also be useful.

More information

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of Administration Management for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in sales administration from the Institute of Administration Management.

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With experience, you could become a sales admin team leader, personal assistant or office manager. You could also use your administration skills to move into related careers, such as payroll, human resources or customer service.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • business management skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to work well with others
  • persuading and negotiating skills
  • persistence and determination
  • maths knowledge
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
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