The article deals with contact and non-contact evaluation of surface roughness created by water jet cutting technology (AWJ). Non-contact surface measurement was performed using an LPM laser profilometer. The values measured by the laser profilometry method were compared with the values measured by the contact method, the Mitutoyo SJ 400 roughness meter. Six samples were produced. Three in stainless steel and three in structural steel. In order to achieve a different surface topography, different feed rates of the cutting head were used on the samples, which was reflected in the quality of the resulting surface. The evaluated parameters were the average arithmetic deviation of the assessed profile and the largest height of the profile inequality.