Using a fiber-coupled laser diode as the pumping source, the 1.03 μm self-Q-switched laser in the Cr,Yb:YAG crystal is demonstrated. The output Q-switched pulses are very stable, the threshold pumping power is 680 mW, the pulse duration is as short as 3.3 ns, the mean output power of 156 mW is obtained and the slope efficiency is about 18.5%. With the rise of the pump power, the repetition rate increases linearly, the pulse width decreases very slowly and the pulse energy and peak power increase slowly with absorbed pump power. The beam quality factor M2 is measured to be 1.17.