Previous research indicates that placing RFID tags directly on human skin tissue causes significant signal loss, resulting in read ranges of less than 1 m. Permittivity, electrical conductivity, and the thickness of muscle, fat, and skin layers which impacts the RFID performance. This study investigates the potential of introducing a hydrogel layer between the RFID tag and the skin to mitigate these effects. Both non-conductive and conductive hydrogels were developed, with hydrogel conductivity varied through different salt mass concentrations. The effect of hydrogel conductivity on RFID read range was examined in both simulations and experimental settings. Results demonstrated a consistent pattern of decreased read range with increasing NaCl content and validated by simulation. However, an unexpected peak in read range was observed at 10% m/v NaCl concentration, indicating an optimal concentration for improving RFID tag performance. Beyond this concentration, at 20%, 30% and 40% immersed NaCl, led to reduced read range due to increased signal attenuation. This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between hydrogel conductivity, salt concentration, and RFID performance, offering recommendations for optimizing RFID applications.