The invention discloses a preparation method of (S)-2-aminobutanamide as a key intermediate for levetiracetam, which belongs to the technical field of drug intermediate synthesis. According to the preparation method disclosed by the invention, a compound 1 undergoes ammonolysis reaction in C1-C3 alkyl alcohol, vacuum concentration is carried out until a dry state is formed after the reaction is complete, an alcoholic solvent is added, ammonia is further injected for freeing, an alcoholic solvent is added for clarification by dissolution after filtration and concentration, crystals are grown after an acidic alcoholic solvent is dripped for salification, a compound 2 is obtained by preparation and purification, wherein X is hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid or methanesulfonic acid. The preparation method disclosed by the invention is simple and effective, yield and purity are greatly increased, molar yield is higher than 90 percent, purity is higher than 99.5 percent, a high-quality intermediate is provided for the subsequent preparation of the levetiracetam, the preparation method does not have the step of chiral resolution, and adopts only one type of solvent, recovery is simple,three types of wastes are fewer, and the preparation method meets the requirement of industrial production.