PURPOSE: To obtain a wire and a coated electrode having a good weldability and an excellent creep characteristic in the gas shielding arc welding for a high Cr austenitic stainless steel (20-25 Cr).

CONSTITUTION: The welding wire contains in percent 0.02-0.1 C, 0.1-1.0 Si, 0.5-2.5 Mn, 13.00-18.00 Ni 20.00-25.00 Cr, 0.2-1.5 Nb 0.01-0.20 N and the impurity contents of P, S, Al, Ti B and O are restrained and the contents of one or both of Zr and Mg are also restrained and the remain is balanced with Fe and others. The coated electrode is made of a wire as the core which is coated with a coating consisting of in percent 10-45 metallic carbonate, 5-50 metallic fluorinate 1-10 Si compound (in terms of SiO2), 1-15 Ti compound (in terms of TiO2), 0.5-5 REM (rare earth metal) and ≤20 metal powder.