The work aims to study the effect of duplex treatment of abrasive water jet and plasma nitriding on the friction property of 316 stainless steel. Shot peening (WJ-316SS), plasma nitriding (PN-316SS), shot peenning+nitriding (WJ-PN-316SS) were used to strengthen the surface of 316 stainless steel by abrasive water jet and plasma nitriding. The surface morphology, surface layer phase structure and toughness of duplex treated sample were studied, by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), rockwell hardness tester, roughometer, ultra depth of field microscope, scratch tester and friction wear tester and the mechanical properties and tribological behavior of samples with surfaces treated by different methods were investigated under dry friction condition. After duplex treatment, the continuous compact groove texture was formed on the sample surface and the modified layers consisted of Fe2N, Cr2N, CrN and other compounds. The thickness of the nitriding layer was about 10 μm and the surface microhardness (79HRC) and roughness (1.10 μm) of duplex treated sample were higher than those with surfaces through single treatment. In the experiment, the tribological performance of samples was investigated under dry friction condition against Si3N4 ceramic balls. The friction coefficient of 316SS, WJ-316SS and PN-316SS was 0.8, 0.4 and 0.5, and the mass losses were 7.1, 3.3 and 3.7 mg. However, the friction coefficient of WJ-PN-316SS fluctuated around 0.25 and the mass losses were 0.3 mg, significantly lower than that of samples with surfaces through single treatment, so the wear resistance was more excellent. The wear mechanism was mainly composed of fatigue wear and oxidation wear. The tribological properties of 316 stainless steel can be significantly improved by duplex treatment of abrasive water jet and plasma nitriding.