[Objective] The degradation characteristics of phenol by a 3-phenoxybenzoic acid degrading strain-Sphingomonas sp. SC-1 were studied. [Methods] The influence factors of phenol degradation were investigated by determining the concentrations of phenol in microbial degradation systems by HPLC. We analyzed the intermediate products of phenol by analyzing the HPLC chromatograms of the mixed samples taken from phenol degradation systems at different time. [Results] The results showed that SC-1 could grow well by using phenol as sole carbon source in mineral basal medium. Strain SC-1 could degrade phenol entirely within 24 hours while cultured in the medium (pH 7.0) containing 100 mg/L phenol at 30 °C. The strain’s growth and phenol degradation were inhibited when the training systems were treated with some heavy metal ions such as Cu2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, etc. Catechol was an intermediate product of phenol and strain SC-1 could degrade catechol (100 mg/L) within 48 hours. [Conclusion] This research indicated that strain SC-1 could degrade phenol and its intermediate product catechol effectively, and this work could provide data reference for the thorough degradation of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid and the degradation of phenol containing wastewater or phenol containing pesticide residues.