low salary vs So little salary

Both "low salary" and "so little salary" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Low salary" is a common and natural way to describe a salary that is not high, while "so little salary" emphasizes the small amount of the salary in a more dramatic or emotional way.

Last updated: March 23, 2024

low salary

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe a salary that is not high.

Use "low salary" to describe a salary that is not high or is below average. It is a straightforward and commonly used term.

Examples:

She left her job because of the low salary.
Employees are demanding a raise due to the low salary levels in the company.

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He is always complaining about his low salary.
She complained about my low salary.
For a teacher's low salary, I shouldn't have such luxurious tastes.
It appears that a large number of new staff members recruited to the European civil service since 1 May 2004 are beginning their professional careers at a very low salary level.
Termini Imerese is being damaged by the competition arising from the low salary system within some EU countries, whilst Gela is being damaged by competition from Asia.
Moreover, the share of operating costs is calculated on the basis of the low salary of the industrial worker and the operating cost element remains at a fixed maximum on an hourly basis.
The necessary flexible working hours combined with a constant pressure and the relatively low salary, render the profession of a security agent undesirable in the eyes of many.
Low salaries have become a comparative advantage in the competitive market.
But there are also growing complaints about lost manufacturing capacity, low salaries, dire working conditions and lack of safety standards in Chinese-owned companies operating in Africa.
Low salaries due to the interplay of demand outstripping opportunities,
However, the majority of new jobs for women are part-time jobs, some of them being unsafe and insecure with low salaries.
What is unacceptable is that insecure employment, enforced part-time work and low salaries are allowed to exist.
The relatively low salaries in our countries mean that both parents are obliged to work; it is not an option but a necessity.
I imagine that in countries paying very low salaries, membership of the national parliament is not seen as a full-time job.
It is so much more practical to produce in a country with low salaries and a large supply of labour than to make improvements in machinery.
This actually is roughly, in man-years of work, 200,000 dollars roughly, if you keep them on the low salaries with no benefits.
Stating that the allowance cannot be lower than health allowance ensures that the directive takes into consideration those mothers who have very low salaries, as is particularly the case in new Member States.
However, the low salaries paid by the major companies which, moreover, often have recourse to child labour, either directly or through subcontractors, constitute another, equally serious and inhumane form of plunder.
The downside of these are bad working conditions, low salaries, further destruction of the environment and an increase in animal suffering.
It is women who are the main victims of insecure employment, enforced part-time work and the low salaries that are paid for such work.

Alternatives:

modest salary
small salary
inadequate salary
meager salary
below-average salary

So little salary

This phrase is correct but less commonly used. It emphasizes the small amount of the salary in a more dramatic or emotional way.

Use "so little salary" when you want to emphasize the small amount of the salary in a dramatic or emotional manner. It adds a sense of intensity to the description.