Salmon vs tilapia: which has more protein?

On protein these two are close to a tie. Tilapia has slightly more, and fewer calories, and the gap comes from fat: this salmon carries about twice the fat of the tilapia.

That fat is the part the table does not show. In USDA lab samples of raw farmed fish, Atlantic salmon had about 0.32 g of EPA and 0.59 g of DHA, two omega-3 fats, per 3.5 oz (100 g). Tilapia had 0.001 g and 0.027 g. Blood vitamin D tells a similar story. In a meta-analysis of 14 study groups with 640 people, fatty fish raised it by 6.8 nmol/L, while lean fish, the group tilapia belongs to, raised it by 1.9, too little to tell apart from no change.

Mercury does not separate them. The FDA and EPA list both as Best Choices, at 2 to 3 servings of 4 oz (113 g) a week in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and FDA testing found tilapia averaged 0.013 ppm across 32 samples. For children both sit on the even-lower-mercury list, at 2 servings a week, about 1 oz (28 g) each at ages 1 to 3. Raw tilapia from one market carried Vibrio vulnificus, so cook either fish to 145 °F (63 °C) inside.

Pick tilapia for lean protein and salmon for omega-3, or rotate both within the weekly servings.

Per 3.5 oz (100 g) the two are almost level. Portions differ more than the fish. In US survey measures a regular baked tilapia fillet is 3.2 oz (90 g) and gives about 22.5 g of protein, while a regular grilled salmon fillet is counted as 4.9 oz (140 g), about 34 g of protein at this page's numbers. A salmon fillet usually puts more fish, and more protein, on the plate.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level E Raw farmed Atlantic salmon carried about 0.32 g EPA and 0.59 g DHA per 3.5 oz (100 g), while raw farmed tilapia carried 0.001 g EPA and 0.027 g DHA. USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30
2. Level A In a meta-analysis of randomized trials with 640 people, lean fish raised blood vitamin D by only 1.9 nmol/L, a non-significant change, while fatty fish raised it by 6.8 nmol/L. Am J Clin Nutr, 2015
3. Level E The FDA and EPA list both salmon and tilapia as Best Choices and advise 2 to 3 servings of 4 ounces a week during pregnancy and breastfeeding. FDA/EPA, Questions and Answers on Advice about Eating Fish
4. Level E FDA monitoring found tilapia averaged 0.013 ppm mercury across 32 samples, with a maximum of 0.084 ppm. US FDA, Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012)
5. Level E FDA advises cooking most seafood to an internal temperature of 145°F. US FDA, Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely
6. Level C In fresh tilapia from a Riyadh market, 12% of samples carried environmental and 4% clinical-type Vibrio vulnificus, a risk the authors tie to raw or undercooked fish. Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2025
7. Level E In US survey portions a regular grilled salmon fillet is counted as 140 g and a regular baked tilapia fillet as 90 g. USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food codes 26137123 and 26158010
8. Level E The UK CoFID table gives raw tilapia 85 calories, 1.5 g fat and 17.8 g protein per 3.5 oz (100 g), and baked farmed salmon 232 calories, 14.6 g fat and 3.10 g omega-3 fat per 3.5 oz (100 g). CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0, codes 16-154 and 16-359
9. Level E A regular baked or broiled tilapia fillet of 90 g gives about 144 calories, 22.5 g protein and 46.7 mcg selenium, and a large 135 g fillet gives 216 calories and 33.7 g protein. USDA FNDDS 2021-2023
10. Level E FDA and EPA advise children to eat 2 servings of fish a week from the Best Choices list. A serving is about 1 ounce at ages 1 to 3, 2 ounces at 4 to 7, 3 ounces at 8 to 10 and 4 ounces from age 11. US FDA and EPA, Questions & Answers from the FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish
11. Level E FDA and EPA name salmon among the Best Choices fish that are even lower in mercury, the only fish children should be fed to reach the higher amounts of the Dietary Guidelines. US FDA and EPA, Questions & Answers from the FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Salmon and tilapia: same protein, very different fat
• Salmon: wild against farmed, measured rather than assumed
• Tilapia: a protein fish with almost no omega-3

What the studies say

• Is salmon good for weight loss? It fits a calorie cut and adds very little
• Is tilapia safe during pregnancy? Yes when cooked, low in mercury and in omega-3

Rankings and guides

• Which foods are highest in protein?
• Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
• How much protein do you need per day?
• Protein: what it does and how much you need
• Protein: top food sources and Daily Value
• Salmon: full nutrition facts
• Tilapia: full nutrition facts

More comparisons

• Salmon vs tuna
• Salmon vs steelhead trout

• Salmon: USDA FoodData Central, Fish, salmon, pink, cooked, dry heat, FDC ID 172001 · full profile · all forms of salmon
• Tilapia: USDA FoodData Central, Fish, tilapia, cooked, dry heat, FDC ID 175177 · full profile · all forms of tilapia

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.