ZnO is well-known as a promising material for optical communication systems and electronic displays. ZnO:Er thin films were deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates by rf magnetron sputtering, and the effects of sputtering parameters and the annealing conditions on the luminescence in the visible range were investigated. Luminescent properties depended on the crystallinity of films and annealing atmosphere. Highly c-axis oriented ZnO:Er films showed a strong emission band at 465 nm and a weak emission at 525 nm due to the energy transition of $^{4}I_{15/2}-^{4}F_{5/2};and;^{4}I_{15/2}-^{2}H_{11/2}$, respectively. ZnO:Er thin films annealed at air atmosphere were superior to those annealed in $H_2$ in photoluminescence intensity.