In this research, an eco-friendly magnetic adsorbent based on Fe O /salicylic acid nanocomposite was fabricated using a facile one-pot co-precipitation method. The crystalline and morphological characterization of the prepared nanocomposite was performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The nanocomposite was employed as a magnetic solid-phase extraction agent for separation of Cd(II) ions from synthetic solutions. Some experimental factors affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Following elution with acetic acid (pH 3.5), the pre-concentrated analyte was quantified by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. In optimal conditions, a linear calibration graph was achieved in the concentration range of 0.2‒30 ng·mL with a determination coefficient ( ) of 0.9953. The detection limit, the enhancement factor, inter- and intra-day relative standard deviations (for six consecutive extractions at the concentration level of 10 ng·mL ) were 0.04 ng·mL , 100, 2.38% and 1.52%, respectively. To evaluate the accuracy of the method, a certified reference material (NIST SRM 1643e) was analyzed, and there was a good agreement between the certified and the measured values. It was successfully utilized to determine cadmium in industrial wastewater samples and the attained relative recovery values were between 96.8% and 103.2%.