---
title: "How was the salary invented?"  
description: "A brief explanation of the salary and how it was invented"  
author: "Anjita D."  
published: 2023-09-20  
canonical: https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/2553/how-was-the-salary-invented  
category: "money and wealth"  
tags: ["general knowledge", "facts", "salary"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# How was the salary invented?

![How was the salary invented](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/stories/982a4526-216e-410a-bcff-38327b04f4f1/images/ecf36d96-91a7-4df9-ad9d-bdf9f25612e1.jpeg) ![How was the salary invented](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/stories/982a4526-216e-410a-bcff-38327b04f4f1/images/7e6b2b17-2fc6-4a0e-a649-f7dc557bd666.jpeg) In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid in salt instead of money. ![How was the salary invented](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/stories/982a4526-216e-410a-bcff-38327b04f4f1/images/b9860bf3-2ca9-46bb-b9e2-b561f376c3bd.jpeg) This was due to the fact that salt was a precious product at the time. People used to exchange goods and services through a barter system. ![How was the salary invented](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/stories/982a4526-216e-410a-bcff-38327b04f4f1/images/df3c6984-3cda-454b-a783-446e67d83d0c.jpeg) Hence, the word "salary" comes from the Latin word "salarium," which means "salt money." ![How was the salary invented](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/stories/982a4526-216e-410a-bcff-38327b04f4f1/images/ba3af731-7a93-446c-9c2a-aa8788529284.jpeg) The concept of a salary was further developed during the Renaissance. ![How was the salary invented](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/stories/982a4526-216e-410a-bcff-38327b04f4f1/images/02111d11-a999-4da9-b3ce-a7a0c8f76053.jpeg) Later centuries, salaries became even more common during the Industrial Revolution.

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Original Source: https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/2553/how-was-the-salary-invented

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