A commercially available activated carbon has been tested as an adsorbent for the removal of salicylic acid from aqueous solutions. The effect of system variables such as pH of the solution, contact time, adsorbent dosage, solute concentration and temperature has been studied. The percentage removal of salicylic acid is found to increase with an increase in salicylic acid concentration. The amount of salicylic acid adsorbed decreases when the pH increased from 4.0 to 8.5. Kinetics of removal is found to follow the first order rate expression. The adsorption data fitted into the Langmuir isotherm equation in the whole range of concentrations studied.