Groundwater is a key factor in the ecological and hydrological process and evolution of inland salt marsh wetlands. The interaction between the depth of groundwater level and the characteristics of water quality affects the process of water and salt migration and the degree of surface soil salinization. Based on the monitoring data of soil salinity and groundwater characteristics in August 2018, classical statistics, Pearson correlation and principal component analysis were used to analyze the total soil salt content of 0-10 cm soil, groundwater quality characteristics of surface soil at different water levels in Sugan Lake wetland (93°47'53″-94°04'26″E, 38°50'07″-38°56'27″N) and they are interrelationships between the total salt content of surface soil 0-10 cm and groundwater quality were quantified and analyzed. The results showed that:(1) The mean value of soil total salt content in 0-10 cm surface layer of Sugan Lake wetland was 204.41 g/kg, and its variation range and variation coefficient were large, and the variation coefficient ≥ 100% belonged to strong variability. The mean value, magnitude of change and coefficient of variation of the total salt content of soil showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing with the increase of groundwater burial depth. (2) The depth of groundwater was between 0.17-6 m, the pH was in the range of 7.06-9.56, the cations were mainly Na⁺, while the anions were mainly SO₄^2- and Cl^-, and the variation of ion concentration from strong to weak was Na⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Cl^- > SO₄^2- > HCO₃^- > K⁺ > CO₃^2-. (3) Correlation analysis showed that the surface total salt content was positively correlated with groundwater depth in areas with water depth <1 m and 1-2 m, and negatively correlated with water depth between 2-3 m and >3 m. The variation of groundwater depth increases the spatial heterogeneity of topsoil total salt content. Under the action of their physical and chemical properties, evaporation and concentration, leaching and cation adsorption, the correlation between ions and soil salt content were different, The total salt content was significantly positively correlated with Na⁺, Mg²⁺, SO₄^2- and Cl^-, while the correlation coefficient with K⁺, CO₃^2- and HCO₃^- were low and not significant. The correlation analysis of surface soil salt content with groundwater depth and groundwater quality characteristics reflects the complexity of soil water and salt transport process in inland salt marsh wetlands.