How Many Grams of Salt
in a Tablespoon?

It depends on the salt type. Table salt: 18g per tablespoon. Morton kosher salt: 14.4g. Diamond Crystal kosher salt: 8.4g. Fine sea salt: 15g. Coarse sea salt: 12g. Himalayan pink salt: 17g. Flaky salt (Maldon): 8g. Pickling salt: 19g. The variation is due to different crystal sizes and shapes — finer crystals pack more densely. Use the calculator above to convert any amount for your specific salt.

One teaspoon of table salt weighs approximately 6 grams. For other salt types: Morton kosher ≈ 4.8g per teaspoon, Diamond Crystal kosher ≈ 2.8g per teaspoon, fine sea salt ≈ 5g, Himalayan pink ≈ 5.7g, flaky salt ≈ 2.7g. One tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, so divide any tablespoon figure by 3 to get the teaspoon weight.

Crystal size and shape determine how densely salt packs into a spoon. Table salt has tiny, uniform cubic crystals that pack tightly — no air gaps, maximum weight. Diamond Crystal kosher salt has large, hollow pyramid-shaped flakes that trap significant amounts of air — making it weigh only 47% as much per tablespoon compared to table salt. This means using Diamond Crystal by the same volume as table salt will result in significantly under-salted food. This is why professional bakers and chefs always specify the exact salt brand, or use weight measurements in grams.

One tablespoon of table salt contains approximately 6,976mg of sodium — nearly 3× the American Heart Association's recommended daily maximum of 2,300mg. Even a single teaspoon of table salt contains ~2,325mg of sodium, which already meets (and slightly exceeds) the daily recommended limit. The sodium content varies by salt type: Diamond Crystal kosher salt at 1 tablespoon contains only ~3,257mg of sodium due to its lighter weight per tablespoon.

Yes, but you must adjust the volume — or ideally, convert to grams and use the same weight. To substitute Diamond Crystal for table salt: use 2.14× the volume. To substitute Morton Kosher for table salt: use 1.25× the volume. To substitute Diamond Crystal for Morton Kosher: use 1.71× the volume. The safest method is to weigh the salt in grams rather than measuring by spoon. A recipe scaling calculator can also help when scaling recipes that include salt.

Nearly the same. Fine-ground Himalayan pink salt weighs approximately 17g per tablespoon, compared to 18g for table salt — only a ~6% difference. However, coarse-ground Himalayan pink salt weighs considerably less due to larger crystal size and more air gaps. The pink colour comes from trace iron oxide (rust) and does not significantly affect weight or sodium content. Despite marketing claims, Himalayan pink salt has essentially the same nutritional profile as regular table salt.