<p>Soil salinity poses a significant challenge to agricultural productivity, threatening global food security. Although conventional approaches such as selective breeding and genetic modification have sought to enhance plant resilience, they often face limitations in adaptability, scalability, and cost. In contrast to conventional methods, emerging research underscores the promising role of plant-associated halotolerant bacteria and metagenomic approaches in addressing salt stress. Halotolerant bacteria contribute to salinity mitigation through multiple mechanisms, including phytohormone synthesis, activation of antioxidant enzymes, mineral and nutrient acquisition, osmolyte accumulation, ion homeostasis, and exopolysaccharide production. Additionally, they restrict excessive Na⁺ uptake and induce salt stress-responsive genes, collectively alleviating the physiological impact of salinity and supporting sustainable agricultural practices. Metagenomics enables the identification of key bacterial taxa and functional gene elements associated with salinity resilience, facilitating the development of targeted bioinoculants and optimizing plant-microbe interactions. This review integrates multi-omics pipelines, synthetic microbe design strategies, and critical evaluation of field-level limitations, while outlining future directions for translating PGPR-mediated salt tolerance into sustainable agriculture.</p>