What this calculator does
Nutrition labels are inconsistent about which one they print: some list sodium in milligrams, others list salt in grams, and anyone comparing two products or tracking an intake figure ends up needing to convert between the two. A salt to sodium conversion is not a rough rule of thumb, it follows directly from the chemistry of table salt itself.
Table salt is sodium chloride, NaCl, and sodium makes up a fixed share of its mass because that share is set by atomic weight: sodium is about 22.99 grams per mole, chloride about 35.45, giving a molecular weight of 58.44 for the compound. Sodium is therefore roughly 39.3% of salt by weight, a ratio that holds regardless of brand, grain size or where the salt was produced, so one multiplier converts reliably in either direction.
The formula
Divide the amount by 1,000 first if it is entered in grams rather than milligrams, so the maths runs in a single unit. To go from salt to sodium, multiply by 22.99 ÷ 58.44 (about 0.3934). To go from sodium back to an equivalent salt amount, divide by that same figure instead.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Na | Sodium, atomic weight about 22.99 grams per mole. |
| NaCl | Sodium chloride, molecular weight about 58.44 grams per mole: ordinary table salt. |
| Sodium fraction | The fixed 22.99 ÷ 58.44 ratio, about 39.3%, of salt’s mass that is sodium rather than chloride. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Convert | Choose whether the amount you have is a salt weight or a sodium weight. |
| Amount | The amount to convert, in whichever unit is selected below. |
| Unit | Grams or milligrams, matching how the figure is labelled on the pack or the app you are copying it from. |
When to use it
Reading a label that only states sodium
Many nutrition panels list sodium in milligrams but a recipe or a dietary note states an amount in grams of salt. Converting the sodium figure to its salt equivalent lines the two up without guesswork.
Comparing labels from different countries
US labels typically state sodium content; UK, EU and Australian labels typically state salt content instead. Converting one figure to the other makes two products from different regions directly comparable.
Matching a tracking app to a doctor’s note
A doctor’s note or dietary guideline can state an amount in grams of salt, while a food-tracking app only records sodium in milligrams. Converting between the two keeps both figures in the same units without recalculating by hand each time.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How much sodium is in a given amount of salt?
The sodium content of a range of common salt amounts.
| Salt | Sodium content |
|---|---|
| 1 g | 393 mg (0.39 g) |
| 2 g | 787 mg (0.79 g) |
| 3 g | 1,180 mg (1.18 g) |
| 5 g | 1,967 mg (1.97 g) |
| 6 g | 2,360 mg (2.36 g) |
| 10 g | 3,934 mg (3.93 g) |
How much salt does a given amount of sodium represent?
The equivalent salt amount for a range of sodium figures.
| Sodium | Equivalent salt |
|---|---|
| 500 mg | 1,271 mg (1.27 g) |
| 1000 mg | 2,542 mg (2.54 g) |
| 1500 mg | 3,813 mg (3.81 g) |
| 2300 mg | 5,847 mg (5.85 g) |
| 3000 mg | 7,626 mg (7.63 g) |
| 4000 mg | 10,168 mg (10.17 g) |
Questions
Is the 39.3% sodium share of salt always the same?
Yes, for pure sodium chloride. The ratio is fixed by atomic weight, so it applies equally to table salt, sea salt and kosher salt, which are all essentially the same compound despite differences in crystal size and trace minerals.
Why do some nutrition labels show sodium and others show salt?
It comes down to regional labelling rules. US nutrition panels state sodium in milligrams, while UK, EU and Australian panels commonly state salt in grams, which is why the same product can look like it carries two different numbers.
Does this conversion apply to seasoned salt or salt substitutes?
No. This ratio only holds for pure sodium chloride. Seasoned salts, potassium-based salt substitutes and salt blends contain other compounds in varying proportions, so their sodium content has to be read from their own label rather than derived from this fixed fraction.
How much salt is 2,300 mg of sodium?
About 5,847 mg, or roughly 5.85 g, of salt. That works out close to a level teaspoon of table salt, though exact teaspoon weight varies slightly with how tightly the salt is packed.
For converting a weight of any other cooking ingredient into cups, see the grams to cups calculator. For a baseline on how much fluid to aim for alongside your sodium intake, see the daily water intake calculator.