Retail Assistant Salary in London
Official ONS earnings for London, covering 97,000 jobs.
Median salary — London
£15,417
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 1.5% change on the previous year
Mean
£17,693
Jobs measured
97,000
What a typical retail assistant takes home
On the median of £15,417, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,218
Take-home a year
£14,620
Income Tax
£569
National Insurance
£228
What most retail assistants actually earn
Half of retail assistants in London earn between £10,699 and £23,888. Earning above £23,888 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Sales Assistants and Retail Cashiers” group in London.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of retail assistants earn less than this.
How London ranks for retail assistant pay
1st
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
London pays retail assistants more than anywhere else ONS measures — £1,700 above Scotland, the lowest of the 11.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Sales and retail assistants
- SOC 2020 code
- 7111
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Retail Assistant salary FAQs
What is the average Retail Assistant salary in London?
The median is £15,417 a year and the mean is £17,693, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a retail assistant earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £12.62 excluding overtime, or £13.22 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for London.
What is a good Retail Assistant salary?
Half of retail assistants earn between £10,699 and £23,888. Anything above £23,888 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a retail assistant?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of retail assistants earn under £6,531 and the lowest quarter under £10,699 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid retail assistants earn?
The top 10% of retail assistants earn more than £31,097 a year, and the top quarter more than £23,888. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do retail assistants in London earn more than the UK average?
The median in London is £15,417 against £14,491 across the UK, 6.4% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 11 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has retail assistant pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +1.5% for this occupation in London. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many retail assistants are there in London?
ASHE counts around 97,000 employee jobs in “Sales and retail assistants” (SOC 7111) in London. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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