Mild steel offers versatile properties at relatively lower cost. Therefore, the alloy has a large application base in the industry, nonetheless mild steel still possesses application limitations required by the increasing complexity and severity of service environments. Atomic-scale surface microstructure modification by rf magnetron sputtering deposition presents a technological solution to improve material properties and performance for a wide range of industrial applications. The focus of this work was to investigate and comment on the wear behavior of surface modified mild steel surfaces subjected to different deposition temperatures. The effect of deposition temperature on the surface morphology of the material is also reported and correlated to the wear performance. The results showed that resistance to dry sliding wear of mild steel increased with increasing deposition temperature as well as decreasing roughness.