Salmon attended Kilmaine Primary School and Glenlola Collegiate School while growing up in Bangor, a town on the north coast of County Down which she says is her 'favourite place... It's a really pretty seaside town with a marina which is lovely in the summer.' She then attended Queen's University, Belfast, where she gained a degree in law at 2:1 level, before qualifying as a solicitor.
Salmon was crowned Miss Northern Ireland in 1999 (beating future Big Brother contestant Orlaith McAllister).
Zoe is in a relationship with Gerard McCarthy best known as Kris Fisher in Channel 4s Hollyoaks.