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Shop assistant salary
Average shop assistant salary
$15.01
Average Shop Assistant Salary
The average salary for a shop assistant in the United States is approximately $31,216 annually, translating to about $15 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, shop assistants in metropolitan areas typically earn more than those in rural regions.
Factors Influencing Salary
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary differences. States like California and New York offer higher average salaries, often exceeding $35,000 annually. Moreover, experience levels greatly impact earnings; entry-level positions might start around $25,000, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $40,000.
Job Opportunities
With a growing retail sector, opportunities for shop assistants are on the rise. Exploring job listings on platforms like Zippia can provide insights into available roles and salary expectations in your area.
Let Zippia find your next shop assistant job
Let Zippia find your next shop assistant job
Where can a Shop Assistant earn more?
Shop assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average shop assistant salary by state
The highest-paying states for shop assistants are Rhode Island, Maine, and Vermont. The lowest average shop assistant salary states are Michigan, Georgia, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for shop assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $38,339 | $18.43 |
| 2 | Montana | $37,670 | $18.11 |
| 3 | Ohio | $36,231 | $17.42 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $38,239 | $18.38 |
| 5 | Iowa | $36,281 | $17.44 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $37,680 | $18.12 |
| 7 | Delaware | $38,320 | $18.42 |
| 8 | Maine | $39,982 | $19.22 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $40,329 | $19.39 |
| 10 | Nevada | $34,670 | $16.67 |
| 11 | Vermont | $38,355 | $18.44 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $34,739 | $16.70 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $38,176 | $18.35 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $38,047 | $18.29 |
| 15 | Washington | $38,097 | $18.32 |
| 16 | Utah | $32,938 | $15.84 |
| 17 | Illinois | $34,788 | $16.73 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $32,297 | $15.53 |
| 19 | Alaska | $36,764 | $17.68 |
| 20 | Colorado | $33,390 | $16.05 |
| 21 | Oregon | $35,429 | $17.03 |
| 22 | New York | $35,576 | $17.10 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $32,740 | $15.74 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $33,336 | $16.03 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $32,121 | $15.44 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $37,174 | $17.87 |
| 27 | Kansas | $31,299 | $15.05 |
| 28 | Indiana | $30,021 | $14.43 |
| 29 | Texas | $28,348 | $13.63 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $29,062 | $13.97 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $29,843 | $14.35 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $29,747 | $14.30 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $33,382 | $16.05 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $31,612 | $15.20 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $28,507 | $13.71 |
| 36 | Idaho | $29,605 | $14.23 |
| 37 | California | $33,818 | $16.26 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $30,576 | $14.70 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $27,639 | $13.29 |
| 40 | Arizona | $28,291 | $13.60 |
| 41 | Florida | $27,427 | $13.19 |
| 42 | Virginia | $31,143 | $14.97 |
| 43 | Michigan | $27,354 | $13.15 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $27,822 | $13.38 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $24,445 | $11.75 |
| 46 | Missouri | $28,468 | $13.69 |
| 47 | Georgia | $27,102 | $13.03 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $26,607 | $12.79 |
| 49 | Alabama | $26,842 | $12.90 |
| 50 | Maryland | $28,478 | $13.69 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $25,825 | $12.42 |
Highest paying cities for shop assistants
The highest-paying cities for shop assistants are Spokane, WA, Eden Prairie, MN, and Bridgewater, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane, WA | $38,310 | $18.42 |
| 2 | Eden Prairie, MN | $38,174 | $18.35 |
| 3 | Bridgewater, MA | $37,986 | $18.26 |
| 4 | Missoula, MT | $37,503 | $18.03 |
| 5 | Ithaca, NY | $36,654 | $17.62 |
| 6 | Modesto, CA | $35,106 | $16.88 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $34,409 | $16.54 |
| 8 | Greeley, CO | $33,686 | $16.20 |
| 9 | Green Bay, WI | $33,227 | $15.97 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | $32,977 | $15.85 |
| 11 | Paramus, NJ | $32,422 | $15.59 |
| 12 | Lenexa, KS | $31,625 | $15.20 |
| 13 | Texarkana, AR | $30,321 | $14.58 |
| 14 | Omaha, NE | $29,955 | $14.40 |
| 15 | Noblesville, IN | $29,931 | $14.39 |
| 16 | Nampa, ID | $29,558 | $14.21 |
| 17 | Independence, MO | $28,626 | $13.76 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $28,350 | $13.63 |
| 19 | Fort Worth, TX | $28,343 | $13.63 |
| 20 | Chattanooga, TN | $27,635 | $13.29 |
Shop assistant salary details
A shop assistant's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $38,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a shop assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 75th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| Average | $31,216 | $2,601 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying shop assistant jobs
The highest paying types of shop assistants are pinsetter mechanic helper, washer engineer helper, and shop lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hvac Helper | $30,491 | $2,541 | $14.66 | 31,508 |
| Installation Helper | $31,908 | $2,659 | $15.34 | 33,573 |
| Shop Helper | $32,686 | $2,724 | $15.71 | 23,652 |
| Shop Worker | $31,850 | $2,654 | $15.31 | 73,161 |
| Woodworking Shop Hand | $31,846 | $2,654 | $15.31 | 14,926 |
| Shop Mechanic | $47,377 | $3,948 | $22.78 | 100,379 |
Top companies hiring shop assistants now:
Which companies pay shop assistants the most?
Shop assistant salaries at Steel Dynamics and Princeton University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average shop assistant salary at companies like Airgas and Kroger are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steel Dynamics | $41,592 | $20.00 |
| 2 | Princeton University | $37,892 | $18.22 |
| 3 | Airgas | $36,905 | $17.74 |
| 4 | Kroger | $36,721 | $17.65 |
| 5 | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy | $36,680 | $17.63 |
| 6 | Simi Valley Unified School District | $36,294 | $17.45 |
| 7 | Precision Valve & Automation | $35,683 | $17.16 |
| 8 | Michels | $35,642 | $17.14 |
| 9 | Bridgewater State University | $35,562 | $17.10 |
| 10 | PACCAR | $35,122 | $16.89 |
| 11 | VisionCorp Rep | $35,074 | $16.86 |
| 12 | Ryder System | $35,041 | $16.85 |
| 13 | Patterson Companies | $34,955 | $16.81 |
| 14 | Waste Connections | $34,904 | $16.78 |
| 15 | JE Dunn Construction | $34,803 | $16.73 |
| 16 | Loyola Marymount University | $34,788 | $16.73 |
| 17 | The University of Kansas Health System | $34,749 | $16.71 |
| 18 | MasTec | $34,465 | $16.57 |
| 19 | Macy's | $34,315 | $16.50 |
| 20 | Stratolaunch | $34,239 | $16.46 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Shop Assistant salary by industry
The average shop assistant salary varies across industries:
- The average shop assistant salary in the construction industry is $32,963, the highest of any industry.
- The average shop assistant salary in the finance industry is $32,176.
- Shop assistants in the retail industry earn an average salary of $27,395, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for shop assistants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $32,963 | $15.85 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $32,176 | $15.47 |
| 3 | Automotive | $31,335 | $15.06 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $31,256 | $15.03 |
| 5 | Education | $30,370 | $14.60 |
| 6 | Professional | $30,354 | $14.59 |
| 7 | Retail | $27,395 | $13.17 |
High paying shop assistant jobs
Shop assistant salary trends
The average shop assistant salary has risen by $7,568 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average shop assistant earned $23,648 annually, but today, they earn $31,216 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for shop assistants over the last decade.
Compare shop assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average shop assistant salary over time
Compare shop assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Shop assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $31,200 | $15.01 | +3.9% |
| 2025 | $30,000 | $14.43 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $28,900 | $13.92 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $28,000 | $13.46 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $27,000 | $13.00 | +4.0% |
Recently added shop assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago | Scene Shop Foreperson | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $45,914 |
| University of Alaska System | Green Bikes Mechanic and Shop Assistant | Fairbanks, AK | 06/29/2025 | $31,222 |
| Insight Global | Shop Assistant | Hopkinton, NH | 06/28/2025 | $37,440 |
| Bellevue Community College | Art Studio/Shop Assistant | Bellevue, WA | 06/26/2025 | $25,654 |
| College of Western Idaho Home | View Job Description for Shop Assistant, Welding | Nampa, ID | 06/26/2025 | $33,851 |
| Carolinas Staffing Solutions | Shop Assistant | Boone, NC | 06/26/2025 | $20,870 |
| Suny Cortland | Costume Shop Assistant | Cortland, NY | 06/24/2025 | $41,740 |
| Granite Construction Company | Small Tools Assistant-Sign Shop | Everett, WA | 06/21/2025 | $43,827 |
| Maddox Industrial Transformer | Shop Assistant | Greer, SC | 06/21/2025 | $40,822 |
| Dobbs Truck Group | Service Shop Assistant | Sumner, WA | 06/21/2025 | $37,566 |
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