Yacht Crew Salary 2026: Monthly Pay for 27 Positions
How much do yacht crew make?
Most yacht crew earn about €3,000–€10,000 a month in base salary, before charter tips. A junior deckhand or junior stew starts at roughly €2,800–€3,500. Heads of department on big yachts earn €7,500–€15,000, and captains on 80–100m yachts earn up to €23,000 (YPI Crew, 2026).
You live aboard, so food and a bunk come on top, and most of that money is yours to save.
Updated October 2026. All figures are gross monthly base pay in euros, before tips, unless stated. Each one is credited to the guide it came from, with that guide's year.
This page covers pay only. To find out how to actually get hired, start with our yacht jobs guide.
Yacht crew salary by position
Here are 27 superyacht crew positions, grouped by department. Each pay range runs from the smallest yacht that carries the role to the largest.
| Dept | Position | What they do | Monthly base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | Junior deckhand | Entry-level deck job: washdowns, lines, tenders | €2,800–€3,200 |
| Experienced deckhand | 1+ seasons; varnish, toys, tender driving | €3,200–€4,000 | |
| Specialised deckhand | Also a diver, kitesurfer, carpenter, videographer or tender driver | €3,250–€4,000 | |
| Bosun | Runs the deck crew day to day | €3,500–€6,000 | |
| Bridge | 3rd officer (60m+) | Junior watchkeeping officer | €4,500–€6,500 |
| 2nd officer (50m+) | Watchkeeping, charts, safety gear | €5,000–€7,500 | |
| Chief officer / first mate | Captain's number two, runs deck and safety | €3,500–€10,000 | |
| Captain | Commands the yacht (full breakdown) | €5,000–€23,000 | |
| Interior | Steward / stewardess | Cabins, laundry, guest service (stew pay) | €3,000–€4,500 |
| Chief stew | Runs the interior department | €4,000–€10,000 | |
| Head of housekeeping / service (60m+) | Leads one side of a large interior | €4,500–€6,500+ | |
| Purser (60m+) | Accounts, admin, guest logistics | €7,000–€10,000 | |
| Laundry master (60m+) | Runs the laundry on big yachts | €3,500–€5,000+ | |
| Galley | Head / sole chef | Guest and crew menus (chef pay) | €4,500–€10,000+ |
| Sous chef (40m+) | The head chef's number two | €4,000–€6,000+ | |
| Third chef (80m+) | Junior galley role on the largest yachts | €4,500–€5,500 | |
| Engineering | Motorman (80m+) | Engine-room rating: checks, cleaning, maintenance | €3,500–€5,000 |
| 3rd engineer (60m+) | Junior engineer under the chief | €4,000–€6,000 | |
| 2nd engineer (40m+) | Chief's deputy | €4,500–€9,000 | |
| 1st engineer (100m+) | Senior engineer on the biggest yachts | €8,500–€10,000 | |
| Chief / sole engineer | Responsible for every system aboard (engineer jobs) | €5,000–€15,000+ | |
| ETO / AV-IT officer (60m+) | Electrics, electronics, AV, IT and networks | €7,000–€10,000+ | |
| Specialist | Spa manager (80m+) | Runs the onboard spa | €4,500+ |
| Spa therapist (40m+) | Advanced treatments | €4,000–€5,500 | |
| Masseuse / beautician (40m+) | Massage and beauty, often combined with stew work | €3,500–€4,500 | |
| Nurse (40m+) | Crew and guest medical care | €4,000–€5,000 | |
| Personal trainer (40m+) | Fitness, yoga, Pilates | €3,500–€4,500 |
Sources: YPI Crew's 2026 salary guides for deck, officers, captains, interior and specialist roles and engineers (March 2026). Galley rows: Lighthouse Careers, Yacht Chef Salary 2026 (updated September 2026). The top of the captain range is YPI's 80–100m band; above 100m, YPI lists captain pay as discretionary.
Guides disagree on interior pay. The UKSA superyacht salary guide (January 2025) lists stews at €2,200–€2,500 and chief stew/purser at €2,800–€4,000 on 45m+ yachts, well below YPI's 2026 figures. On deck the two guides are close: UKSA has deckhands at €2,800–€3,500. So treat UKSA as the floor and YPI as the going rate on a well-run boat.
Yacht deckhand salary: from junior to bosun
A junior deckhand earns €2,800–€3,200 a month, an experienced deckhand €3,200–€4,000 and a bosun €3,500–€6,000 (YPI Crew, 2026). Deck is where most green crew start, and the pay ladder is short and predictable.
| Rank | Monthly base (YPI 2026) | Leave |
|---|---|---|
| Junior deckhand (0–1 years) | €2,800–€3,200 | 45–90 days, or 3:1 rotation on 60m+ |
| Experienced deckhand | €3,200–€4,000 | 45–90 days, or 3:1 rotation on 60m+ |
| Bosun | €3,500–€6,000 | 50–90 days, or 3:1 / equal rotation |
Source: YPI Crew, Superyacht Deck & Bosun Salary Guide 2026 (March 2026).
Port Vauban, Antibes, one of the Med's biggest crew hiring hubs, where many deckhands land their first boat. Photo: Jordiferrer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Three things are worth knowing:
- Bigger isn't always better for a junior. In YPI's table, junior deckhands on 30–60m yachts earn €3,000–€3,200, slightly more than the €2,800–€3,000 on 60m+. The bigger boats give it back in leave: 90 days or a 3:1 rotation (three months on, one off).
- Lead deckhand sits between deckhand and bosun, but none of the 2026 guides we checked prices it as its own rank. Expect an offer somewhere between the experienced deckhand and bosun bands, and ask.
- Other data points agree. Lighthouse Careers reports a €3,500 median across 24 of its own deckhand placements (2026 guide, updated September 2026). UKSA (2025) has deckhands at €2,800–€3,500 up to 70m and €3,000+ above that.
What gets you off the junior rate is a skill a captain can use: tender driving, dive or watersports tickets, or a trade such as carpentry. YPI pays those "specialised deckhands" €3,800–€4,000 on 40m+. For tickets and how to land your first boat, see our junior deckhand guide.
How yacht size changes pay
Entry-level pay barely moves with length. Senior pay climbs steeply. Per YPI's 2026 guides, a captain earns €5,000–€6,000 under 30m and €16,000–€23,000 on 80–100m, and a chief engineer goes from €5,000–€7,000 on 30–40m to €12,000–€15,000 on 80–100m.
Bigger yachts also carry roles that smaller boats don't have at all. Pursers, ETOs, 3rd officers, laundry masters and spa teams mostly appear from 60m up, and motormen and third chefs from 80m. More positions on board means more rungs to climb without changing boats.
The big-yacht quay at Port Vauban. Bigger boats carry bigger crews, more specialist roles and higher senior pay. Photo: avu-edm, CC BY 3.0.
Tips, currency and where the boat works
Tips are the big variable, and only charter yachts pay them. The MYBA guideline suggests a tip of 5–15% of the gross charter fee, worked out on the charter fee only, not the APA (the advance guests pay for fuel, food and running costs). On most boats the tip is split equally across the crew, so the junior deckhand gets the same share as the chief engineer. Dockwalk's worked example: a $300,000-a-week charter with 15 crew, tipped at 10%, pays $2,000 per crew member for that week (Dockwalk, 2021). Not every boat splits it the same way, so ask the captain before you sign.
Currency follows the cruising ground. Every salary guide in this post quotes euros, and Med jobs are usually advertised in euros. US-based boats and many Caribbean winter jobs are quoted in dollars. Tips differ too. YachtCharterFleet (2023) says Med tips usually sit at the low end of the MYBA range, while US and Caribbean charters are "often calculated at the upper end of the scale". An American crew will expect no less than 15%.
English Harbour, Antigua, a winter charter base where jobs are often quoted in US dollars. Photo: Vincent van Zeijst, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Not on a full-time contract yet? Daywork pays by the day. See our 2026 yacht crew day rates.
Rotation, leave and benefits
- Rotation: on 60m+ yachts, YPI's 2026 guides show deckhands on 3:1 rotation and chief officers and captains on equal (time-for-time) rotation. On smaller boats you get a set number of leave days instead, typically 45–90.
- Food and accommodation: covered while you're aboard. As a junior, expect to share a cabin.
- Flights and medical insurance: these vary by boat, so check both in every offer.
- Tax: depending on your nationality and residency, some of your pay may be tax-free. UK and EEA-resident seafarers may qualify for the Seafarers' Earnings Deduction, which needs an eligible period of at least 365 days, mostly spent outside the UK. Get proper tax advice on your own situation.
Quick answers
How much does a yacht deckhand make? €2,800–€3,200 a month as a junior and €3,200–€4,000 with experience, before tips (YPI Crew, 2026).
What's the highest-paid yacht crew job? Captain: €16,000–€23,000 a month on 80–100m yachts, and discretionary above that. Chief engineers on 80m+ come next at €12,000–€15,000+ (YPI Crew, 2026).
How much do yacht crew make a year? On a year-round contract, a junior deckhand's base works out to roughly €33,600–€38,400. Charter tips can add a lot on top.
Which superyacht crew positions can you get with no experience? Junior deckhand and junior stew. You'll need STCW Basic Safety Training and an ENG1 medical first.
Are tips included in yacht crew salaries? No. Every figure on this page is base pay. Tips come on top, and only on charter yachts.
Where to go from here
Use these yacht crew salary figures to check an offer is in a fair range, and remember that every guide above says pay moves with experience and with what the boat needs. For the full picture by department, read our stewardess salary, captain salary and chef salary guides, or start at yacht jobs.
If you're crew or a dayworker looking for your next boat, create a free Radius profile, check in at your port, and let captains find you on the live map. Captains and recruiters hiring for the season can find verified crew on radiusmarine.com.