jobfacts

Market trader

Market and street traders and assistants — SOC 2020 7124

Market and street traders and assistants sell goods (other than refreshments) from stalls, barrows and other portable containers in streets and market places.

Also calledStall holderStreet food traderStall keeperStall assistantSellerMarket assistantand 38 more titles
People in the job12,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month208↓ 1.6%on last year · 341st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
Typical pay by regionUK median —
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, —
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 208 jobs for market traders are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026Not published
Jul 2026Not published
Jun 2026189
May 2026193
Apr 2026156
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026199
Jan 2026216
Dec 202587
Nov 2025299
Oct 2025313
Sept 2025221
Aug 2025191
Jul 2025296
Jun 2025279
May 2025271
Apr 2025182
Mar 2025227
Feb 2025276
Jan 2025207
Dec 2024100
Nov 2024172
Oct 2024188
Sept 2024229
Aug 2024198
Jul 2024148
Jun 2024141
May 2024196
Apr 2024142
Mar 2024126
Feb 2024142
Jan 2024157
Dec 202398
Nov 2023145
Oct 2023175
Sept 2023115
Aug 2023124
Jul 2023131
Jun 2023168
May 2023187
Apr 2023157
Mar 2023192
Feb 2023164
Jan 2023150
Dec 2022139
Nov 2022204
Oct 2022197
Sept 2022216
Aug 2022223
Jul 2022220
Jun 2022192
May 2022225
Apr 2022181
Mar 2022214
Feb 2022188
Jan 2022223
Dec 2021154
Nov 2021179
Oct 2021188
Sept 2021188
Aug 2021188
Jul 2021201
Jun 2021159
May 2021172
Apr 2021102
Mar 2021194
Feb 2021104
Jan 202192
Dec 202090
Nov 2020124
Oct 2020220
Sept 2020168
Aug 2020171
Jul 2020100
Jun 202079
May 202065
Apr 202080
Mar 2020139
Feb 2020169
Jan 2020176
Dec 2019107
Nov 2019131
Oct 2019220
Sept 2019197
Aug 2019179
Jul 2019211
Jun 2019202
May 2019187
Apr 2019121
Mar 2019168
Feb 2019122
Jan 2019156
Dec 2018127
Nov 2018152
Oct 2018194
Sept 2018247
Aug 2018221
Jul 2018288
Jun 2018311
May 2018160
Apr 2018150
Mar 2018168
Feb 2018229
Jan 2018239
Dec 2017141
Nov 2017198
Oct 2017225
Sept 2017167
Aug 2017208
Jul 2017163
Jun 2017224
May 2017229
Apr 2017201
Mar 2017210
Feb 2017186
Jan 2017217
Is there a shortage of market traders?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertainty in change in hourly wage.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
17%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for sales related occupations, which includes market traders. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London115
Manchester15
Birmingham12
Glasgow City11
Westmorland and Furness11
St Albans10
North Yorkshire10
City of Edinburgh9
Cheshire West and Chester9
Leeds8
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where market traders are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of market traders
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
35%!
12%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–6435% (small sample)
65+12% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!32%
Higher education below degree!29%
A levels or equivalent!18%
GCSEs or equivalent!52%
Other qualifications!16%
No qualifications!16%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent32% (small sample)
Higher education below degree29% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent18% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent52% (small sample)
Other qualifications16% (small sample)
No qualifications16% (small sample)

Main employers: retail sale via stalls and markets of textiles, clothing and footwear (26%), retail sale via stalls and markets of other goods (18%), retail sale of clothing in specialised stores (11%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
32%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 52%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a college course, which may help if you're setting up your own business.

Courses include:

  • principles of business start up
  • setting up your own business
  • preparing to set up in a new business
Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements for this route.

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start by working on a stall part time at an indoor market, pop-up events, craft markets, seasonal markets or festivals.

You'll learn on the job from experienced traders, sharing their knowledge and watching their sales methods. Once you've got experience, you could apply to set up your own stall.

Apply directly

You can contact your local council for information on licensing rules and how to apply for one of their market stalls. You may have to rent a stall on a casual basis before you can apply for a permanent pitch.

Other routes

You could check your local further education college as they may run short self-employment courses. They can also direct you to community organisations in your local area that help people who want to start their own business.

If you're between 18 and 30 years old, you may be able to find help and support to set up a business through the King's Trust.

What you’ll need

  • have insurance
  • market stall licence
  • street trading licence

Depending on where you work, you’ll need to apply to your local council for a:

If you're preparing food, you'll need to get food hygiene certificates for yourself and any staff.

You'll usually need a driving licence and your own car, van or catering truck.

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need to register with your local environmental health department to be a street food trader
Career tips

Do your research on what sells well. You may have an advantage if you're offering something different from other traders.

You can find useful short courses, advice and free resources online to help you start your own business.

Further information

You can learn more about becoming a market trader and setting up your business through the National Market Traders Federation and Nationwide Caterers Association.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for market trader. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • displays products on stall or barrow
  • calls out or otherwise attracts attention to goods on offer
  • sells goods at fixed price or by bargaining with customer
  • accepts payment and may wrap goods
  • cleans up site on completion of each day’s trading

Skills

  • adapt to different weather conditions
  • arrange permit for market stall
  • assist customers
  • guarantee customer satisfaction
  • maintain work area cleanliness
  • operate cash point
  • operate cash register
  • organise product display
  • process payments
  • carry out active selling
  • deliver a sales pitch
  • demonstrate products' features
  • ensure customer focus
  • ensure product preparation

Knowledge

  • consumer protection
  • product comprehension
  • value-added tax law
  • beverage products
  • clothing and footwear products
  • clothing sizes
  • coffee, tea, cocoa and spice products
  • cold chain

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Leading and persuading

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for sales occupations, a group of 13 jobs that includes market traders.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 12%about 255,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035671,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.