Augmented reality (AR) technology has potential advantages for application in STEM education. However, existing relevant studies lack a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the impact of AR on student achievement in STEM education. In this study, a meta-analysis of 33 studies published in eight SSCI journals of educational technology between 2010 and 2023 found that AR had a moderate impact (ES = 0.586) on student achievement in STEM fields, and the overall impact tended to increase gradually over time across years. Analysis of the six moderator variables revealed that AR had a more positive effect on student achievement in science and math, and that its intervention effects were better in primary and lower secondary education. The positive effects of AR were better with the integration of tablet and smartphone-like mobile devices. AR was predominantly multimedia-based in presenting STEM-related content, but integration of other pedagogical approaches had the potential to achieve better results. AR had the strongest contribution to student STEM achievement when the duration of the experiment was 1 week-1 month. In informal environments, AR was more effective in terms of intervening in student achievement in STEM education. Finally, this study offers some suggestions for future research and application of AR in STEM education.