At age 17 he enrolled in the Autonomous University of Puebla where he obtained the title of Lawyer, Notary and Actuary.

In 1983 he held the position of legal director in the Office of the Secretary of Education and Culture of the State of Chiapas, and established the system of applying exams for the assignment of plazas of master primary teachers.

In 2011, Juan Sabines, the governor of Chiapas, repeatedly accused Salazar of corruption and misuse of funds.

Many suspect that Sabines' attacks were based on speculation that Salazar would again run for public office—which would of[clarification needed] stealing 11 billion pesos that had been designated for rebuilding after Hurricane Stan, an accusation that Salazar responded to by publishing a response, "The Truth About Stan.

On June 7, 2011, Pablo Salazar was arrested at the Cancún airport on charges of embezzlement and criminal association.

[4] On June 9, Carlos Loret de Mola, a reporter for the newspaper El Universal, published an article about a “secret” document delivered by an official from the government of Chiapas to the residency of Mexican President Felipe Calderón.

Salazar was released a few days before his successor, the governor Juan Sabines Guerrero, left office on December 8.