Most thin films have different thermal expansion coefficients from their substrates, thus thermal stresses will be introduced into the films when the temperature is changed during annealing and service. Calculations of these stresses for grains in various crystallographic orientations have been made for seven BCC transition metals Cr, Fe, Mo, Nb, Ta, V and W. Neglecting W, which is isotropic and the stresses are equiaxial and without grain orientation (hkl) dependence,the BCC metals may be grouped into two classes. In the first class (Cr, Mo, Nb and V), the (100)-oriented grains have the largest stresses, while the stresses σ1 and σ2 in other (hkl)-oriented grains decrease linearly with the increase of the angle between (hkl) and (100), and with σ1 ＜σ2 except in (100)- and (111)-oriented grains. In the second class (Fe and Ts), on the contrary, the (100)-oriented grains have the lowest stresses, and the stresses σ1 and σ2 in other (hkl)-oriented grains increase linearly with the increase of the angle between (hkl) and (100), and with σ1 ＞σ2 except in (100)- and (111)-oriented grains.