Retail Assistant Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 109,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£15,246
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 9% change on the previous year
Mean
£16,464
Jobs measured
109,000
What a typical retail assistant takes home
On the median of £15,246, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,208
Take-home a year
£14,497
Income Tax
£535
National Insurance
£214
What most retail assistants actually earn
Half of retail assistants in South East earn between £9,507 and £22,797. Earning above £22,797 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 South East.
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 South East ranks for retail assistant pay
2nd
of 11 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £15,417 and Scotland sits at the bottom on £13,717. South East is £171 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.
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 South East?
The median is £15,246 a year and the mean is £16,464, 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 South East.
What is a good Retail Assistant salary?
Half of retail assistants earn between £9,507 and £22,797. Anything above £22,797 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 £5,725 and the lowest quarter under £9,507 — 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 £28,041 a year, and the top quarter more than £22,797. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do retail assistants in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £15,246 against £14,491 across the UK, 5.2% higher, which places it 2nd 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 +9.0% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many retail assistants are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 109,000 employee jobs in “Sales and retail assistants” (SOC 7111) in South East. 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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