מצד אחד תנאי העבודה שם טובים מאוד, מצד שני המשכורת לא גבוהה.

It means on the one hand ... on the other hand.

This is a very common Hebrew pair used to present a contrast:

• מצד אחד = on the one hand
• מצד שני = on the other hand

In this sentence, it introduces two opposing facts:

• the working conditions are very good
• but the salary is not high

תנאי העבודה means the working conditions.

This is a construct phrase in Hebrew:

• תנאים = conditions
• תנאי = conditions of ... (construct form)
• העבודה = the work / the job / the employment

So תנאי העבודה literally means conditions of the work, which in natural English is working conditions.

A useful thing to notice: although תנאים is normally the plural form, in the construct state it becomes תנאי.

Because תנאי העבודה is grammatically plural masculine, so the adjective must agree with it.

• טוב = good (masculine singular)
• טובה = good (feminine singular)
• טובים = good (masculine plural)
• טובות = good (feminine plural)

Since תנאי is plural masculine, Hebrew uses:

• טובים מאוד = very good

So the agreement works like this:

• תנאי העבודה טובים מאוד
• The working conditions are very good

In the present tense, Hebrew usually does not use a separate word for is / are / am.

So:

• תנאי העבודה שם טובים מאוד literally looks like:
• the working conditions there very good

But it means:

• The working conditions there are very good

This is completely normal in Hebrew present-tense sentences.

In past or future, Hebrew does use verbs:

• היו טובים = were good
• יהיו טובים = will be good

שם means there.

In this sentence:

• תנאי העבודה שם טובים מאוד = The working conditions there are very good

Hebrew often places adverbs like שם after the noun phrase and before the adjective/predicate. That word order is natural.

You could think of the structure as:

• תנאי העבודה = the working conditions
• שם = there
• טובים מאוד = are very good

So שם modifies the situation/location: the working conditions there.

המשכורת means the salary.

The prefix ה־ is the definite article, equivalent to the.

So:

• משכורת = salary / a salary
• המשכורת = the salary

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about a specific salary connected to that job or place, so the salary makes sense.

Also, in Hebrew, when the noun is definite, the adjective is still used normally:

• המשכורת לא גבוהה = the salary is not high

Because משכורת is a feminine singular noun, and the adjective must agree with it.

Forms of high:

• גבוה = masculine singular
• גבוהה = feminine singular
• גבוהים = masculine plural
• גבוהות = feminine plural

So:

• המשכורת = salary (feminine singular)
• therefore: גבוהה

That is why the sentence says:

• המשכורת לא גבוהה = the salary is not high

Hebrew often prefers not high in contexts where English might also say low, especially with things like salary, prices, level, amount, and so on.

So:

• המשכורת לא גבוהה = the salary is not high

This can sound a little softer or less direct than saying:

• המשכורת נמוכה = the salary is low

Both are possible, but לא גבוהה is very natural here.

No. Hebrew has a few related words:

• משכורת = salary, paycheck, usually regular monthly pay
• שכר = pay, wage, compensation, a broader and more formal word

In this sentence, משכורת sounds very natural because it refers to someone’s salary in a job.

For example:

• המשכורת לא גבוהה = the salary is not high
• השכר לא גבוה = the pay is not high

Both are possible, but משכורת is especially common in everyday speech.

Because this is a fixed contrast structure:

• מצד אחד = on the one hand
• מצד שני = on the other hand

Hebrew normally uses both parts when setting up this kind of balanced contrast. Repeating the pattern makes the contrast clear and idiomatic.

It works much like English:

• On the one hand ... on the other hand ...

You can understand it that way structurally, but it would not be natural English.

A more natural translation is:

• the working conditions there

Hebrew often uses a construct phrase where English prefers a compound noun or a smoother expression.

So:

• תנאי העבודה literally = conditions of the work
• natural English = working conditions

The comma separates the two contrasting halves of the sentence:

• מצד אחד תנאי העבודה שם טובים מאוד,
• מצד שני המשכורת לא גבוהה.

This is similar to English punctuation in a sentence like:

• On the one hand, the working conditions there are very good; on the other hand, the salary is not high.

The comma helps show the shift from one side of the contrast to the other.

People would absolutely say this. It sounds natural and standard.

The phrase מצד אחד ... מצד שני is common in both spoken and written Hebrew. The rest of the sentence is also very everyday and natural:

• תנאי העבודה שם טובים מאוד = very normal
• המשכורת לא גבוהה = very normal

So this is a good example of real Hebrew, not an artificial textbook sentence.