<p>A strain gauge made of thick-film resistors has a great potential for use in civil engineering owing to its relatively high voltage sensitivity, stability, low production cost, and long-term service capacities. However, a persistent drawback of strain gauges is their thermal sensitivity. To address this problem, it is advisable to propose and manufacture a strain gauge made of thick film resistors that do not sense low temperatures. This paper makes a close look into the effects of resistor paste components and baking temperature on the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of a thick-film resistor. Thick film resistors made from RuO<sub>2</sub> concentrations from 10 wt% to 30 wt% baked at different temperatures on an Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> substrate, have been investigated. The relationship between resistor resistance, TCR and scale factor (GF) has been subject for studies. Findings show that TCR rises with an increase of the RuO<sub>2</sub> concentration and baking temperature. Near the minimum (T<sub>min</sub>) of the resistance-temperature curve, the temperature has the least effect on the resistance value, and a thick-film resistor can be considered insensitive to temperature in a certain range. The ratio of TCR to GF and T<sub>min </sub>depends on the film resistance of thick film resistors. By varying the concentration of the conductive phase and the baking temperature, the film resistance of thick-film resistors can be controlled, and low-temperature strain gauges can be achieved for different ambient temperatures.</p>