In this work, a new experimental setup for acoustic emission (AE) monitoring was designed to study the process of pitting corrosion of 304 stainless steel. Two AE sensors were employed in the present setup to investigate the AE behaviors of the pitting process in the working electrode and the hydrogen bubbles on the counter electrode separately and simultaneously. The AE signals from hydrogen bubbles on the counter electrode started to be detected with a delay time (defined as Δt₁) after the pitting potential was reached. Then the AE signals from the pitting process were detected after another delay time (defined as Δt₂). The parameters of Δt₁ and Δt₂ generally decreased with the increase in sodium chloride concentration. Another parameter, Δt₃, was defined as the time difference between the first detections of the AE signals from hydrogen bubbles on the counter electrode and the pitting process on the working electrode. The AE signal-derived parameter, Δt₃, decreased linearly with the increasing concentration of sodium chloride. Furthermore, the value of Δt₃ was directly proportional to open circuit potential (E_OC) and pitting potential (E_P) of 304 stainless steel, respectively. These correlations imply that the more easily pitting corrosion occurs, the lower the value of Δt₃ would be and vice versa. The AE-derived time-delay parameter reflecting the pitting corrosion process can offer an alternative idea for evaluation of the corrosion critical variables and the pitting corrosion resistance.