The residual stress induced in ceramic-metal joints bonded at high temperature will strongly influence the strength of joints. The residual stresses induced in a silicon nitride to carbon steel joint plate were calculated by the three-dimensional thermo plastoelastic stress analysis using the finite element method (FEM), and the result was compared with the values measured by x-ray diffraction. The three-dimensional analysis shows that the residual stress concentrates and distributes three-dimensionally at the ceramic-metal interface. The measured residual stresses almost agreed with those calculated by the three-dimensional FEM, but they differed greatly from the values by the two-dimensional FEM. The large tensile residual stress σx in the axial direction at the interface in the silicon nitride would have the strongest influence on the strength of the joint.