A new numerical solution of the elastohydrodynamic lubrication(EHL) problem of an axially profiled cylindrical roller is presented. A finite difference method and the Newton-Raphson method are used to solve the nonlinear system equations. A non-uniform grid system is adopted to reduce the number of grid points and to obtain accurate solution. For two different types of profiles which have similar elastostatic pressure distribution, the EHL results show large differences. Especially the difference in film shape is larger than in pressure distribution. Therefore, the magnitude of the minimum film thickness should be a major criteria to design the axial profile of the roller. Variations of the minimum film thickness with dimensionless parameters show considerably different behavior from those of infinite solution and show a good agreement with the experimental data in literatures. Present numerical scheme can be used generally in the analysis of three-dimensional EHL problem.