The invention relates to a method and device for recognizing an underground material layer. The method comprises the steps of obtaining a well logging log of a position to be surveyed, wherein the well logging log includes data sequences corresponding to multiple physical geographic parameters, the data sequence of each physical geographic parameter include measurement values of the physical geographic parameter at different underground depth positions; matching a reference data sequence of each physical geographic parameter corresponding to each layer transition type with the data sequence of the physical geographic parameter in the well logging log at the different underground depth positions, wherein each layer transition type indicates an upper material layer and a lower material layer adjacent to the upper material layer, the reference data sequence is used for representing change tendency of the physical geographic parameter in a transition region matched with the layer transition type; determining the layer transition types and the underground depths for dividing the upper material layers and the lower material layers indicated by the layer transition types included at the different underground depth positions according to matching results. By means of the scheme, the underground material layer recognition accuracy rate can be improved.