diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.cc
index a706cc240c5b8..bc8c62ae5a1c1 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.cc
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class FileReader::Impl {
   Status GetFlatColumn(int i, std::unique_ptr<FlatColumnReader>* out);
   Status ReadFlatColumn(int i, std::shared_ptr<Array>* out);
   Status ReadFlatTable(std::shared_ptr<Table>* out);
-  const ParquetFileReader* parquet_reader() { return reader_.get(); }
+  const ParquetFileReader* parquet_reader() const { return reader_.get(); }
 
  private:
   MemoryPool* pool_;
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ Status FileReader::ReadFlatTable(std::shared_ptr<Table>* out) {
   return impl_->ReadFlatTable(out);
 }
 
-const ParquetFileReader* FileReader::parquet_reader() {
+const ParquetFileReader* FileReader::parquet_reader() const {
   return impl_->parquet_reader();
 }
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.h b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.h
index dc144f43dff06..c6fc47d87b26f 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.h
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/reader.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class PARQUET_EXPORT FileReader {
   // Read a table of flat columns into a Table.
   ::arrow::Status ReadFlatTable(std::shared_ptr<::arrow::Table>* out);
 
-  const ParquetFileReader* parquet_reader();
+  const ParquetFileReader* parquet_reader() const;
 
   virtual ~FileReader();