In order to solve the problems of multi-parameter, multi-extreme and multi-solution in the nonlinear iterative optimization process of Rayleigh wave inversion, the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is selected for global nonlinear inversion. The global nonlinear inversion method does not rely on a strict initial model and does not need to calculate the derivative of the objective function. The ABC algorithm uses the local optimization behavior of each individual artificial bee to finally highlight the global optimal value in the colony, and the convergence speed is faster. While searching for the global optimal solution, an effective local search can also be performed to ensure the reliability of the inversion results. This paper uses the ABC algorithm to perform Rayleigh wave dispersion inversion on the actual seismic data to obtain a clear undergrounding of shear wave velocity profile and accurately identify the location of the high-velocity interlayer. It is verified that the ABC algorithm used in the inversion of the Rayleigh wave dispersion curve is stable and converges quickly.