He currently plays for Tallinna FC Ararat TTU, wearing the number 70 shirt. He plays primarily as a Forward. He stands at 189cm tall and weighs 70kg. His preferred foot is Right.

In the RUS D3A 2025-2026 season, Ilya Salnikov scored 0 goals and provided 0 assists across 14 appearances, averaging 0 goals per game with 0 shots attempted and 0 on target.