磁强计指的是各种用于测量磁场的仪器，也称磁力仪、高斯计。

在国际单位制中描述磁场的物理量是磁感应强度，单位是特斯拉。由于1特斯拉意味着非常强的磁场，地球科学上常用纳特（nT）来作为测量单位，工程上常用的CGS制（厘米-克-秒制）中，单位则是高斯。在早期，电磁领域高斯单位盛行，因此磁强计也称为高斯计。

磁感应强度是矢量，具有大小和方向特征，只测量磁感应强度大小的磁强计称为标量磁强计，而能够测量特定方向磁场大小的磁强计称为矢量磁强计。

能够测量磁场的物理原理有很多，根据不同原理进行分类，常见标量磁强计原理有质子旋进磁强计，Overhauser磁强计，碱金属光泵磁强计等，常见的矢量磁强计有磁通门磁强计、磁阻磁强计等。

Magnetometers are measurement instruments used for two general purposes: to measure the magnetization of a magnetic material like a ferromagnet, or to measure the strength and, in some cases, the direction of the magnetic field at a point in space.

The first magnetometer was invented by Carl Friedrich Gauss in 1833 and notable developments in the 19th century included the Hall Effect which is still widely used.