Tribomagnetization is a relatively weak phenomenon and has a potential advantage for predicting wear conditions. However, it is easily subject to many factors during the magnetization process, such as tribological parameters, the properties of ferromagnetic materials, and the external environment, resulting in an ambiguous understanding of tribo-magnetization. Herein, the magnetization process against sliding under different tribological loads is investigated. Changes in the surface magnetic field and sliding-induced subsurface plastic deformation are characterized. The results show that tribomagnetization is determined predominantly by the specific depth of hardened regions (≥ 170–180 kg/mm²) resulting from sliding-induced plastic deformation. These results hold promise for providing a potential path to predict the wear regime.