Boat Captain Jobs: 8 Types, Pay and Where to Find Them
Updated 27 October 2026
Senior yacht and boat captain jobs are often filled from a recruiter's shortlist or a phone call, so you may never see an ad. Below: where captain jobs are posted, the job types, the licence each needs, what they pay and how captains get hired. Just starting out? Our yacht jobs guide covers every department.
Where are boat captain jobs posted?
Boat captain jobs are found in four places: crew agencies, yacht job boards, word of mouth from owners, management companies and other captains, and boat shows. The bigger the boat and the more senior the role, the more often it's filled through contacts rather than an open ad.
- Crew agencies. Many advertised superyacht captain jobs go through agencies, which are paid by the yacht, not by you. Register with several and keep your availability current. Under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, placement fees can't be passed on to seafarers, captains included.
- Job boards. YaCrew and Yotspot are the two big yacht boards. Captain roles sit under deck jobs, alongside relief and delivery work. Check the posting date, because filled jobs often stay up.
- Word of mouth. Plenty of command jobs on private boats are never advertised. An owner asks their broker, management company or a captain they trust, or a chief officer gets promoted when the captain moves on. Your reputation travels faster than your CV.
- Boat shows. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (late October to early November) and the Monaco Yacht Show (late September) put owners, brokers, management companies and captains on the same docks for a week.
The 59th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in November 2018. Shows put owners, brokers, management companies and captains on the same docks for a week, which is why so many captain jobs get talked about there first. Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What kinds of yacht captain jobs are there?
"Captain" covers very different jobs. A 25m private boat with two crew and a 90m charter yacht with 30 crew have almost nothing in common except the title.
| Job type | Typical boat | What makes it different | Usual licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small yacht captain (under 30m) | Private or charter, small crew or none | Often hands-on: you drive, fix, wash down and run the guest trips | Commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore (up to 200 GT); USCG Master on US-flag boats |
| Superyacht captain (30–60m) | Private or charter, separate deck and interior teams | More management: crew, budget, yard periods, the owner | Master (Yachts) <500 GT or <3,000 GT |
| Large / mega yacht captain (60m+) | Large crew; equal rotation is standard from 50m up (YPI Crew, 2026) | Running a small company: departments, compliance, refits | Master (Yachts) <3,000 GT; over 3,000 GT needs an unlimited ticket |
| Charter captain | Any size | Back-to-back guests, tips, broker relationships | As above for the boat's size |
| Relief / rotational captain | Usually 40m+ | Covers leave or shares the post on a fixed rotation | Same ticket as the full-time captain |
| Delivery captain | Any size | Moves the boat between seasons, yards or owners, often short-crewed | Ticket for the size and area |
| Sport-fishing captain | Sportfish boats, mostly US and Caribbean | You run the boat and often the fishing too | USCG OUPV or Master for paid trips |
| Day-charter / six-pack captain | Small boats, up to 6 paying passengers | Day trips, fishing or sunset cruises | USCG OUPV ("six-pack") |
Sport-fishing yachts on a dock at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, November 2015. Sport-fishing boats are their own captain job market in South Florida, with the captain often running the boat and the fishing. Photo: PiersonGrantPR, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Yacht captain job description: what does a yacht captain do?
The captain is legally responsible for the vessel, everyone aboard and everything that happens on it. Day to day, that means:
- Safe navigation and passage planning, including weather calls and deciding when not to go.
- Leading the crew: hiring, rotas, training, drills, discipline and keeping a small crew working together.
- Managing the owner and guests, whether that's one family on a private boat or a new charter party every week.
- Running the budget, from fuel and provisioning to crew pay and yard bills, often with a management company.
- Compliance: flag and port-state rules, ISM and ISPS on larger yachts, crew certificates and logbooks.
- Maintenance and refits, planning yard periods and making sure work gets signed off.
On a small boat you do most of this yourself. On a big one you delegate to heads of department: the chief officer, chief engineer, chief stew and head chef.
What license do you need for boat captain jobs?
Your ticket decides which jobs you can apply for. Most superyachts work to the UK MCA system. US-flag boats, sportfish and day charters work to the US Coast Guard (USCG) system.
- USCG OUPV ("six-pack"): paying passengers on boats under 100 GRT, up to 6 passengers. This is the day-charter and fishing-guide licence.
- USCG Master (100, 200 GRT and up): more passengers and bigger US boats. Our USCG captain's license guide covers OUPV vs Master, requirements and costs.
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore, commercially endorsed: skipper charter boats up to 200 GT, within 150 miles of a safe haven. See the Yachtmaster Offshore requirements and how to do the course in the UK.
- MCA Master (Yachts) <500 GT and <3,000 GT: the standard superyacht tickets. Above 3,000 GT you need an unlimited ticket. The MCA launched a Master Unlimited (Yachts) in May 2026.
The gap between tickets is sea time. After your OOW, the MCA asks for 12 months' seagoing service for Master (Yachts) <500 GT and 24 months for <3,000 GT (MCA guidance). MCA tickets also need STCW Basic Training and an ENG1 medical.
What is a typical yacht captain salary?
A yacht captain earns about $8,000 a month on a 60–99 ft boat, rising to $15,500–$20,500 at 240 ft and up (Dockwalk, 2021 averages). In euros, that's €5,000–€6,000 under 30m to €16,000–€23,000 at 80–100m (YPI Crew, 2026). All figures are base pay per month, before tips.
| Job type / size | USD per month (Dockwalk 2021 average) | EUR per month (YPI Crew 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Small yacht, under 30m | about $8,000 (60–99 ft) | €5,000–€6,000 |
| Superyacht, 30–40m | about $10,100 (100–139 ft) | €6,000–€9,000 |
| Superyacht, 40–80m | about $14,200–$16,100 (140–239 ft) | €8,500–€18,000 |
| Mega yacht, 80m+ | about $15,500–$20,500 (240 ft+) | €16,000–€23,000 at 80–100m; discretionary above 100m |
| Private captain, all sizes | — | €17,105 average (Quay Crew, 2023) |
| Charter captain, all sizes | plus about $1,400–$5,600 in tips | €15,518 average (Quay Crew, 2023) |
| Relief / delivery captain | No reliable published rate; agencies quote "DOE" | — |
| Sport-fishing / six-pack captain | Not covered by these surveys | — |
Every figure is sourced and dated in our yacht captain salary guide; the yacht crew salary hub covers every other position. Feet-to-metre bands are approximate.
The Dockwalk dollar figures are 2021 averages, so treat them as dated and probably low. For the last two rows, ask two or three agencies or local captains what they pay at your size and region.
Where to find boat captain jobs in Florida and Antibes
Fort Lauderdale is the US hub. Agencies cluster around SE 17th Street, the big boats come in for refits and FLIBS in the autumn, and South Florida has its own sportfish and day-charter market. Many boat captain jobs in Florida are on US-flag sportfish, day-charter and private boats, where a USCG licence is what counts; our Florida captain's license guide covers schools and the state's charter rules. Security means you can't walk most docks without business aboard, so register online and phone ahead. Our Fort Lauderdale crew agency guide lists who has an office there.
Antibes is the Med hub. Port Vauban holds some of the biggest yachts in the Med, and several agencies are a short walk from the quay. Med crew hiring for the summer runs roughly February to May. See our Antibes crew agency guide and yacht jobs in Antibes.
How do you get a yacht captain job?
Almost nobody walks into command. Captains in Quay Crew's 2023 survey first took command at 32.5 on average, and a third had spent 3–5 years as chief officer first. The ladder is deckhand, bosun, OOW, chief officer, then captain. Smaller boats are the faster route, and relief or delivery work is one way to get command time on your CV.
When you're ready to apply, three things set you apart:
- A CV that reads in 30 seconds. Ticket, medical and availability at the top. Every boat with its length, GT, flag, private or charter, crew size and cruising area, plus what you actually ran: budgets, refits, crew. See how to lay out a yacht CV.
- References from people who matter. Owners, management companies and captains you've served under carry the most weight. Agencies call them, so make sure they pick up.
- Documented sea time. Get sea service testimonials signed for every boat as you go. You need them for your next ticket, and unexplained gaps worry hiring managers.
The industry is small. How you treat crew, owners and the boat will reach your next employer before your CV does.
FAQ
Where can I find boat captain jobs?
Through crew agencies, yacht job boards like YaCrew and Yotspot, boat shows and your own network. Many senior private jobs are filled by word of mouth and never advertised.
Do you need a license to be a boat captain?
To carry paying passengers, yes: a USCG OUPV or Master in the US, or an MCA/RYA ticket on most superyachts. The licence has to match the boat's size and where it operates.
How much does a boat captain make?
On yachts, about $8,000 a month on 60–99 ft boats up to $20,500 at 280 ft+ (Dockwalk 2021 averages), or €5,000–€6,000 under 30m to €16,000–€23,000 at 80–100m (YPI Crew, 2026). Our salary guide has every size band.
Can you become a yacht captain with no experience?
Not straight away. You need sea time to earn the licence, so start as a junior deckhand and work up.
Do crew agencies charge captains a fee?
No. Under MLC 2006, placement fees can't be passed on to seafarers; the yacht pays the agency.
Hiring crew for your boat?
If you're a captain or head of department building a season crew, you can find verified crew near you on Radius. Crew check in at their port, and their ENG1, STCW and CV are verified before they show up on the map.
Working your way up to your first yacht captain job? Sign up free as crew and check in wherever you are, so captains hiring nearby can find you.