<p>The goal of this research is to enhance the hardness and wear resistance of AISI 304 stainless steel by depositing a TiN-Fe composite layer via the plasma-transferred arc (PTA) cladding method. To produce a hard composite coating, PTA heat input was used after the deposition of green coatings made of different proportions of TiN and Fe powders on the substrate plates. Objective of the study was to determine the effect of the TiN and Fe contents on the surface properties and microstructure of the coating. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pin-on-disk analyses, and a microhardness tester were used to assess the microstructural characteristics, wear resistance, and microhardness. The microhardness of the TiN-Fe coating was found to be significantly influenced by the composition of the coating powders. Higher TiN contents were associated with higher microhardness. The coating (100% TiN + 0% Fe) had the highest average microhardness measured as 2375 HV_0.1, which is about eleven times greater than the microhardness of the substrate (236 HV_0.1). Using a pin-on-disk tribometer, the permanence against wear was assessed under applied loads of 10 N, 20 N, and 30 N at a constant sliding speed of 300&#xa0;rpm. The results indicate that all TiN-Fe coatings exhibited appreciably lower wear rates than the uncoated substrate across the investigated load range, with the TiN-rich coating showing the lowest wear rate (9.8 × 10⁻⁹ gN⁻¹&#xa0;m⁻¹). This is approximately nine times lower than the wear rate of AISI304 steel. Additionally, under constant scanning speed and process current, it was discovered that the frictional behavior of TiN-Fe composite coatings decreased with increasing iron percentage in the coating composition. The overall results reveal that PTA-cladded TiN-Fe composite coatings effectively improve the hardness and wear resistance of AISI 304 stainless steel, making them suitable for wear-critical applications.</p>