A method for manufacturing a semiconductor laser includes the steps of forming a mask layer having a stripe-shaped mask portion corresponding to a ridge stripe to be formed on a nitride-based group III-V compound semiconductor layer, etching the nitride-based group III-V compound semiconductor layer to a predetermined depth using the mask layer to form the ridge stripe, forming a resist to cover the mask layer and the nitride-based group III-V compound semiconductor layer, etching-back the resist until the stripe-shaped mask portion of the mask layer is exposed, removing the exposed mask portion of the mask layer by etching to expose the upper surface of the ridge stripe, forming a metal film on the resist and the exposed ridge stripe to form an electrode on the ridge stripe, removing the resist together with the metal film formed thereon, and removing the mask layer by etching.