An object of the invention is to realize a gain monitoring method for an optical amplifier and an apparatus thereof, capable of detecting a gain for a signal light regardless of a noise light generated inside the optical amplifier. To this end, in the gain monitoring method according to the present invention, a part of a signal light input to an optical amplifier is branched as an input monitor light, and the input monitor light is modulated, and also a part of a light output from the optical amplifier is branched as an output monitor light, so that the modulated input monitor light and the output monitor light are multiplexed. Then, the multiplexed light is converted into an electrical signal, an interference component contained in the electrical signal is extracted, and a gain for the signal light in the optical amplifier is detected based on the interference component.
