Thick-walled cylinders are widely used in various engineering applications. In an optimal design of pressurized thick-walled cylinders, an increase in the allowable internal pressure can be achieved by an autofrettage process. In the paper, analysis is carried out to develop a procedure in which the autofrettage pressure is determined analytically. The obtained equivalent stress distribution is compared with those of the conventional solid wall and of several multi-layer vessels. The results of the analytical approach are verified by FEM modelling. Tensile tests have been carried out to determine the real mechanical properties of the material of the vessel and to create a material model. The presented example illustrates the advantages of the autofrettage technique.