A surface acoustic wave sensor that achieves increased detection sensitivity includes a piezoelectric substrate, an IDT electrode provided on the piezoelectric substrate, and a protection layer arranged on the piezoelectric substrate so as to cover the IDT electrode. The surface acoustic wave sensor is arranged so as to be excited by the IDT electrode in a high-order mode of an SH wave in which displacement at a surface of the protection layer and displacement near a boundary between the piezoelectric substrate and the IDT electrode have opposite directions, and the maximum displacement occurs at the surface of the protection layer.