In this paper, the authors present surface roughness profile assessment using continuous wavelet transform (CWT). Roughness profiles after turning and rough and finish belt grinding of hardened (62HRC) AISI 52100 steel are analyzed. Both Morlet and “Mexican hat” analyzing wavelets are used for the assessment of extrema and frequency distribution. The results of the CWT as a function of profile and momentary wavelet length are presented. It is concluded that CWT can be useful for the analysis of the roughness profiles generated by cutting and abrasive machining processes.