A spring steel wire includes a main body made of a steel and having a line shape, and an oxidized layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the main body. The steel constituting the main body contains not less than 0.5 mass % and not more than 0.7 mass % C, not less than 1 mass % and not more than 2.5 mass % Si, not less than 0.2 mass % and not more than 1 mass % Mn, and not less than 0.5 mass % and not more than 2 mass % Cr, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. The steel constituting the main body has a pearlite structure. The oxidized layer has a thickness of not less than 2 μm and not more than 5 μm. The oxidized layer contains not less than 60 mass % Fe3O4.