salary

[sal-uh-ree]

noun

plural

salaries 

1. a fixed compensation periodically paid to a person for regular work or services.

salary

/ ˈsælərɪ /

noun

1. a fixed regular payment made by an employer, often monthly, for professional or office work as opposed to manual work Compare wage

verb

1. (tr) to pay a salary to

Other Word Forms

• salaryless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of salary¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English salarie, from Anglo-French, from Latin salārium “money given to soldiers to buy salt, salt money.” See sal, -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of salary¹

C14: from Anglo-Norman salarie, from Latin salārium the sum given to Roman soldiers to buy salt, from sal salt

Synonym Study

See pay ¹.

Example Sentences

The median yearly salary of computer and information technology occupations in 2024 was about $105,990, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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These days, the game’s elite passers command contracts worth upward of $50 million annually and eat up giant chunks of the salary cap.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some say the driver shortage concerns are overblown and that there are enough U.S. citizens to meet the demand for drivers if they are given sufficient training and salaries.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And while the armed forces provide guaranteed pensions after 20 years and unmatched job security, they don’t offer bulky salaries or six-figure year-end bonuses.

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The difference, according to Kiffin, is that this choice isn’t about how much he will be earning through his new salary, but how much he will be able to pay his players.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• earnings 
• fee 
• income 
• pay 
• payroll 
• stipend 
• wage 

When To Use

What is a salary?

A salary is a fixed, regular payment in exchange for work. This is different from earning a fee that depends on how many hours you work (earning a fixed rate per hour) or how much work you do, sometimes called piecework.When you earn a salary, it is usually stated as the amount of money you will receive in one year for doing the work (before any taxes are paid). You will then be paid in equal amounts each pay period over the course of that year, even when you are on a paid vacation. How often you are paid will vary from company to company, with every other week and twice a month being most common.To salary someone is to pay them a salary. A salaried employee is someone who is paid a salary instead of paid another way, such as paid by the hour.Example: How can they expect me to live my best life when I’m paid on such a low salary?