In the case of advanced manufacturing technologies, which include Abrasive Water Jet Machining, optimization of control parameters is necessary to achieve appropriate efficiency and quality. One of the optimization methods used in the presented research is SAW, from the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) group. In multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) situations, the criterion weights are crucial components that have a big impact on the outcomes. A novel technique called MEREC (MEthod based on the Removal Effects of Criteria) was presented to find the objective weights of the criteria. The research covered cutting high-alloy steel using AWJ, under the Design of Experiment (DoE) within the L9 orthogonal table. Abrasive flow rate, pressure, and feed were selected as control parameters. The cutting depth (beneficial) and the roughness of the cut surface Sa (non-beneficial) were taken as the output parameters. The result of the research is the determination of the impact of individual control parameters and the determination of a set of control parameters from the point of view of efficiency and quality.