Objective To establish a model for predicting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk. Method The growth curve of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk under different temperatures was developed by the method of GB /T 4789. 37—2008. On fitting growth curves with Gompertz equation， Logistic equation， Richards equation，Weibull equation，Baranyi equation and Monod equation，the primary model was established by Levenberg-Marquardt and Universal Global Optimization，and the secondary predictive growth model was established by a response surface model. Results Gompertz model was the optimal model for predicting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk. Conclusion A model for predicting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk was built by comparing multiple models. The predictive model can provide theory basis for the risk assessment of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk，and also can provide a scientific basis for safety production and circulation of dairy products.