Retail Assistant Salary in North West
Official ONS earnings for North West, covering 97,000 jobs.
Median salary — North West
£14,443
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 4.6% change on the previous year
Mean
£15,870
Jobs measured
97,000
What a typical retail assistant takes home
On the median of £14,443, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,160
Take-home a year
£13,919
Income Tax
£375
National Insurance
£150
What most retail assistants actually earn
Half of retail assistants in North West earn between £10,279 and £21,980. Earning above £21,980 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 North West.
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 North West ranks for retail assistant pay
8th
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £15,417 and Scotland sits at the bottom on £13,717. North West is £974 short of the top.
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.
Retail Assistant jobs hiring now in North West
Live adverts. Salaries are shown only where the employer states one.
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Sales Assistant
Cotswold Outdoor Group Ltd · Thrushwood, Keswick
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Retail Sales Assistant£27,097
Machine Mart · Carlisle, Cumbria
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Retail Sales Assistant
The Works · Stanwix, Carlisle
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Retail Sales Assistant£26,000
Machine Mart · Carlisle, Cumbria
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Retail Sales Assistant£26,436
Cotton Traders · Nantwich, Cheshire
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 North West?
The median is £14,443 a year and the mean is £15,870, 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 North West.
What is a good Retail Assistant salary?
Half of retail assistants earn between £10,279 and £21,980. Anything above £21,980 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 £6,499 and the lowest quarter under £10,279 — 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 £28,292 a year, and the top quarter more than £21,980. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do retail assistants in North West earn more than the UK average?
The median in North West is £14,443 against £14,491 across the UK, 0.3% lower, which places it 8th 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 +4.6% for this occupation in North West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many retail assistants are there in North West?
ASHE counts around 97,000 employee jobs in “Sales and retail assistants” (SOC 7111) in North West. 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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