In order to obtain the design approach for local buckling of steel members at elevated temperatures, an established finite element model is verified by experiment. The calibrated model is used to study the effect of temperature, width to thickness ratio, initial imperfection and interaction between web and flange on the local buckling stress of H shaped axially compressed members. Simplified design approach and limited ratio of width to thickness is proposed on Q235 steel and Q460 steel H shaped axially compressed members at elevated temperature.The study shows that the local buckling stress decreases rapidly with the increase of width to thickness ratio, and the ultimate stress decreases slowly when width to thickness ratio is large enough.The influence of initial imperfection on local buckling stress is insignificant. Restrained effect of the flange on the web at elevated temperature is more obvious than that at room temperature; and the limited ratio of width to thickness at elevated temperature is different with that at room temperature.