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Shop assistant

Also called senior shop worker, trainee shop worker, senior shop assistant

Shop assistants work in shops where they perform assistance duties. The help shopkeepers in their daily work such as ordering and refilling of goods and stock, providing general advice to customers, selling products and maintaining the shop.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospectsShortage in 9 countries now. 31 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Sales workersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €800 (Bulgaria) to €4,500 (Ireland) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Sales workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 3 in 10 train through vocational routes.Sales workersWill AI change it?In some tasksLevel 3 of 6. AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.Shop sales assistants · ILO

What you'd do

Shop sales assistants · ILO
  • Determining customer requirements and advising on product range, price, delivery, warranties and product use and care
  • Demonstrating and explaining to customers the establishment's goods and services
  • Selling goods and services, accepting payment by a variety of payment methods, preparing sales invoices and recording sales using cash registers
  • Assisting with the ongoing management of stock such as product inventories and participating in stock takes
  • Stacking and displaying goods for sale, and wrapping and packing goods sold
Carry out order intakeProvide customer guidance on product selectionExamine merchandiseProcess refundsStock shelves+ 15 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Usually under 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines now and then
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the related, broader US job "Retail Salespersons"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

9 EU countries are short of shop sales assistants now, and a typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as sales workers in the EU
15.79m15.71m16.15m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
173,000 new jobs 4,772,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Sales workers31
All jobs29
Right now
9 of 27 countries report a shortage of shop sales assistants, 14 a surplus.
Shop sales assistants · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €800 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,500 (Ireland), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among service and sales workers in the EU, women earn 3% less per hour than men. Service and sales workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in wholesale and retail sales is the usual route.

Highest qualification of sales workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 16%Vocational 42%General secondary 19%Basic schooling 22%
Field that teaches it
Wholesale and retail sales
Vocational route, EU
3 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

In some tasks

AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.38 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 5 tasks
Selling goods and services, accepting payment by a variety of payment methods, preparing sales invoices and recording sales using cash registers0.55
Determining customer requirements and advising on product range, price, delivery, warranties and product use and care0.47
Demonstrating and explaining to customers the establishment's goods and services0.45
Assisting with the ongoing management of stock such as product inventories and participating in stock takes0.29
Stacking and displaying goods for sale, and wrapping and packing goods sold0.16

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for shop sales assistants. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).