# salary

/ˈsæɫɝi/ (US) · /sˈæləɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/salary
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. fixed payment for work

noun · CEFR A2

a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year for your work.

For teachers: a fixed periodic payment, typically paid monthly or annually, made by an employer to an employee for professional or office work.

- She was happy to accept the job because the annual salary was very high.
- The company offered a competitive starting salary along with a comprehensive benefits package to attract top-tier graduates.

Usage: Usually a countable noun; often used with the verbs 'earn', 'pay', or 'negotiate'.

### 2. to pay a fixed amount

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to pay someone a fixed monthly or yearly amount instead of paying them by the hour.

For teachers: to compensate an employee via a fixed periodic payment rather than hourly wages.

- The manager decided to salary the new staff members instead of paying them hourly.
- The firm chose to salary its consultants to ensure a predictable overhead, moving away from the previous commission-based structure.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice or as a past participle adjective (e.g., 'a salaried employee').

## Examples

- She earns a good salary.
- He accepted the job offer because the salary was higher than his current position.
- Although the base salary was only average, the comprehensive benefits package and performance-based bonuses made the overall compensation highly competitive.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.