Titanium and its alloys provide optimum metallurgical properties for implants. The formation of an oxide layer favours compatibility with the adjacent hard and soft tissues. This study is concerned with the improvement of hardness and wear resistance of Ti6Al-4V surface by thermal oxidation. In this study, comparative investigation of thermal oxidation treatment for Ti–6Al–4V was carried out to appropriate the oxidation conditions for further evaluation of wear performance. Hardness examination conducted under four different indentation loads of 200 gf to 1000 gf with a Vickers pyramid indenter revealed that surface hardness increased from 450 for untreated samples to 1300 Hv upon oxidation at 900oC for 45 h, which was accompanied by significant improvement in wear resistance. Characterization of modified surface layers was made by means of microscopic and X-ray diffraction analysis. This oxidation condition achieved 25 times higher wear resistance than the untreated alloy during reciprocating wear test conducted in a dry sliding.