After attending Grapevine High School in Grapevine, Texas, Salinas played college soccer at Furman University, where he was named to the NSCAA All-America Third Team and the NSCAA All-South Region First Team in 2007, and the NSCAA All-South Region Third Team in 2006, as well as receiving First Team All Southern Conference honors in both 2007 and 2006. During his days at Furman University, Salinas was a brother in the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. During his college years, Salinas played with both the DFW Tornados and Carolina Dynamo in the USL Premier Development League.