A method of manufacturing a surface emitting laser according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following two steps:



(1) a step of forming a semiconductor stacked structure on a substrate, the semiconductor stacked structure including an active layer, a first DBR layer of a first electrical conduction type, and a second DBR layer of a second electrical conduction type, the first DBR layer and the second DBR layer sandwiching the active layer, the second electrical conduction type being different from the first electrical conduction type; and
(2) a step of forming a mesa section at a portion on the second DBR layer side in the semiconductor stacked structure and then forming an annular diffusion region of the first electrical conduction type at an outer edge of the mesa section by impurity diffusion from a side surface of the mesa section, the mesa section including the second DBR layer, the mesa section not including the active layer.