In the present investigation, the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of welded AISI 316 austenitic stainless steels (SS) plates were studied. AISI 316 SS plates were joined using shielded metal arc welding (SMAW). different electrodes, typically, E316L-16 and E312-17 (according to AWS) have been used in welding. Tensile and hardness tests were employed at room temperature to highlight the changes in mechanical behavior of welded joints. Both macro- and microstructure examinations have been used to evaluate the effect of electrode material on phases and grains structure of the welded joints. The comparison study leads to that the AISI 316 SS specimens, welded using E316L-16 electrodes, exhibited a higher joint efficiency than those welded using E312-17 electrodes