Provided is a manufacturing method for a thermal head, including: bonding a flat upper substrate in a stacked state onto a flat supporting substrate including a heat-insulating concave portion open to one surface thereof so that the heat-insulating concave portion is closed (bonding step (SA2)); thinning the upper substrate bonded onto the supporting substrate by the bonding step (SA2) (plate thinning step (SA3)); measuring a thickness of the upper substrate thinned by the plate thinning step (SA3) (measurement step (SA4)); deciding a target resistance value of heating resistors based on the thickness of the upper substrate, which is measured by the measurement step (SA4) (decision step (SA5)); and forming, at positions of a surface of the upper substrate thinned by the plate thinning step (SA3), the heating resistors having the target resistance value determined by the decision step (SA5), the positions being opposed to the heat-insulating concave portion (resistor forming step (SA6)). Thus, a high-efficiency thermal head capable of accurately outputting a target heating amount obtained by estimating an amount of heat wasted without being used is easily manufactured without using a special apparatus.