A thermally-assisted magnetic head that includes an air bearing surface facing a recording medium and that performs magnetic recording while heating the recording medium includes: a magnetic recording element including a pole of which one edge part is positioned on the air bearing surface and that generates magnetic flux traveling toward the magnetic recording medium; a waveguide configured with a core through which light propagates and a cladding, at least one part of which extends to the air bearing surface, surrounding the periphery of the core; a plasmon generator that faces a part of the core and that extends to the air bearing surface. The plasmon generator is configured with a first part and a second part that are joined; the first part that is positioned on the air bearing surface side and that is made of a high melting point material, and the second part that is positioned away from the air bearing surface and that is made of a material with a small value ∈″, which is an imaginary component of permittivity.