A surface emitting laser element that includes a cylindrical mesa post in which a plurality of semiconductor layers including an active layer is grown and that emits a laser light in a direction perpendicular to a substrate surface, the surface emitting laser element including a dielectric multilayer film on a top surface of the mesa post in at least a portion over a current injection area of the active layer; and a dielectric portion that includes layers fewer than layers of the dielectric multilayer film and that is arranged on a portion excluding the portion over the current injection area on the top surface of the mesa post and on at least part of a side surface of the mesa post.