A gripper for a surface mounting apparatus is provided. The gripper includes a gripper holder having an air through hole formed in a central portion of the gripper holder, a gripper adapter positioned below the gripper holder to which one end of a tension spring is fixed, a gripper piston rod provided inside the gripper holder and configured to be upwardly and downwardly moved by air supplied through the air through hole, a pair of jaws provided inside the gripper adapter, the jaws being movably disposed with respect to each other, the other end of the tension spring being fixed to the pair of jaws, a gripper tooth adapter fixed at an upper portion of the jaws by way of a fixing device, a gripper tooth assembly attached to an upper portion of the gripper tooth adapter, the gripper tooth assembly being configured to hold an electronic component, a shaft provided between the pair of jaws and fixed to the gripper piston rod, and a roller coupled to the shaft. The gripper may further include a cam coupled to the shaft.