Yacht Engineer Jobs: AEC Tickets, Pay and How to Get Hired
Updated 16 October 2026
How to get a yacht engineer job: the short answer
To get a yacht engineer job, get your ENG1 and STCW, take the MCA's AEC 1 and AEC 2 engine courses, then start as 3rd or 2nd engineer on a bigger yacht while you log sea time toward a Small Vessel CoC. The job itself is keeping the boat running: main engines, generators, watermakers and air conditioning. The usual way in:
- Get the baseline tickets: an ENG1 medical (or an accepted equivalent) and STCW Basic Safety Training, in Antibes or Fort Lauderdale.
- Take AEC 1, then AEC 2. These short MCA-approved engine courses are the entry ticket, and AEC 1 has no entry qualification.
- Start as 3rd or 2nd engineer on a bigger yacht, where you learn under a chief instead of being alone.
- Log your sea time properly from day one. It's what moves you up the ladder.
- Learn to read the job ads. Ads still ask for "Y4", "Y3" or "Y1", but the MCA closed the yacht (Y) route to new entrants at the end of 2022. The decoder table below explains what they mean now.
This guide covers the engine department only. For every other department, start with our yacht jobs guide.
Yacht engineer roles by yacht size
The size of the yacht decides how many engineers it carries and which ticket the captain asks for.
| Role | Typical yacht | Ticket job ads ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Motorman | 80m+ | STCW III/4 |
| 3rd Engineer | 60m+ | AEC (60–80m), EOOW (80m+) |
| 2nd Engineer | 40m+ | AEC (40–50m), Y3 or SV 2nd (50–60m) and up |
| 1st Engineer | 100m+ only | Senior ticket, sits under the chief |
| Chief / Sole Engineer | 30m+ | AEC/EOOW (30–40m), Y3 / SV Chief 3000 kW (40–50m), Y1 / SV Chief 9000 kW (50m+), Class I (80m+) |
| ETO (Electro-Technical Officer) | 60m+ | Electrical, electronics, AV and IT systems |
Source: YPI Crew Superyacht Engineer Salary Guide 2026. Sizes are typical, not rules.
With just AEC 1 and 2, your realistic first jobs are 3rd engineer on a 60–80m or 2nd engineer on a 40–50m, usually on non-rotational contracts. Sole engineer on a 30–40m is possible with AEC, but you'll be the only person on board who can fix the generator at 2am. Most people are better off learning under a chief first.
A yacht engine room like this one on Vera IV is a sole or second engineer's office: main engines, generators, watermakers and everything that keeps the guests' air conditioning running. Photo: VERA IV, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Y4, Y3, Y1: what the old tickets mean now
Y tickets are the old MCA yacht engineer certificates. New engineers now get Small Vessel (SV) Certificates of Competency instead. MSN 1904 took over from MSN 1859 on 10 January 2023, and no new Notices of Eligibility were issued under the old yacht route after 31 December 2022.
If you already hold a Y ticket, it can still be revalidated, or you can do the extra training and convert to an SV CoC. If you're starting now, you're on the SV route. SV CoCs aren't yacht-only: they also cover fishing vessels, tugs, workboats and patrol vessels, which widens your options if yachting slows down.
| Old yacht ticket (in job ads) | Converts to (current SV CoC) |
|---|---|
| Y4 | Any SV CoC, with extra sea time and exams |
| Y3 | SV Chief Engineer <3,000 kW, <500 GT, or <9,000 kW, <3,000 GT |
| Y2 | SV Chief Engineer <9,000 kW, <3,000 GT |
| Y1 | SV Chief Engineer <9,000 kW, <3,000 GT |
Source: MCA MIN 642, section 7.2. MIN 642 itself says it expired on 1 December 2025; we use it only for this conversion table. MSN 1904 is the rule in force, so check it before you book anything.
So when an ad says "Y3 or SV Chief 3000 kW", it's asking for the same level of engineer under the old and new names.
The ticket ladder: AEC 1 to SV Chief Engineer
| Step | What it is | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|
| AEC 1 | 35+ hour engine course, completion certificate (not a CoC) | Age 18+, no entry qualification |
| AEC 2 | 35+ hour follow-on course | AEC 1 completed |
| SV EOOW | Engineer Officer of the Watch, <9,000 kW, <3,000 GT, unlimited area | AEC 1 and 2, three MCA exams, oral, sea time, Training Record Book, 2 weeks workshop skills training |
| SV Chief <3,000 kW / <500 GT | Chief on smaller yachts | 6 months' seagoing as SV EOOW on 350 kW+, two exams, oral |
| SV Chief <9,000 kW / <3,000 GT | Chief on most large yachts | 12 months' seagoing as SV EOOW (6 on 750 kW+), five exams, oral |
Source: MSN 1904. There's also a non-STCW Marine Engine Operator Licence for 200–750 kW vessels, but MSN 1904 says it isn't guaranteed to be accepted internationally, so most yacht engineers aim for SV EOOW.
AEC 1 and AEC 2: where everyone starts
The MCA's own AEC 1 guidelines are honest about it: the course "does not attempt to make diesel engineers from the course participants." It teaches you to run and look after engines safely. AEC 2 builds on it and is the first step toward an SV CoC.
For a price guide, UKSA on the Isle of Wight runs AEC 1 and AEC 2 over 5 days each, from £990 course only (£1,190 residential) for late-2026 dates and £1,020 / £1,225 for 2027. UKSA suggests the RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance course first if you've never touched an engine.
High-speed diesels like this MTU are common main engines on motor yachts. The AEC courses teach the routine servicing and fault-finding on engines like it. Photo: Saxum, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Two ways to reach SV EOOW from a yacht
- Experienced Seafarer Route (most yacht crew): to register, you need 24 months on board including 6 months seagoing in the engine department on vessels of 200 kW+, plus AEC 1 and 2 and STCW basic safety. Then a further 11 months' seagoing on 350 kW+, including 6 months of watchkeeping or UMS duties, gets you a Notice of Eligibility.
- Alternative Route (engineers from ashore): if you have a degree, HND or HNC in mechanical, marine or electromechanical engineering, or a level 3+ engineering apprenticeship such as diesel fitter, you apply to an MCA-approved training provider for an Action Plan. Apprenticeships must be marine engineering, cover at least 70% of the AEC syllabus and be completed in the UK or EU. Non-UK qualifications need an ENIC letter.
Sea time: log it or lose it
On yachts, a day counts if you work at least 4 hours in 24, and up to 90 days of yard or dry-dock time can count toward SV EOOW. Your yacht service must be verified by PYA or Nautilus International, and applications go in on form MSF 4900 (MCA: certification for engineer yachts). Get your captain to sign off as you go, not years later when the boat has been sold.
Where yacht engineer jobs are posted
Most yacht engineer jobs go through agencies and job boards, and refit yards are where extra hands are needed most.
- Yacrew engineering jobs: 108 engineering listings on 16 October 2026, from a temp 3rd engineer on a 70m in West Palm Beach to a chief engineer on a 45m+ in the South of France on 3:1 rotation.
- YPI Crew: an agency with an engineering desk that publishes the salary guide used below.
- Yotspot: a general crew board with engineering roles.
Under MLC 2006, seafarer recruitment agencies can't charge you placement fees (ILO MLC FAQ). See our agency guides for Antibes and Fort Lauderdale.
Engine-room daywork during refit periods is one of the best ways to get in front of a chief engineer, and dockwalking gets you to the boats before jobs are advertised. Put your AEC and any trade background at the top of your yacht CV.
Engineer pay at a glance
Pay climbs fast with yacht size and ticket. Monthly ranges from YPI Crew's 2026 guide:
| Role | Yacht | Monthly (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Motorman | 80m+ | €3,500 – €5,000 |
| 3rd Engineer | 60–80m | €4,000 – €5,500 |
| 2nd Engineer | 40–50m | €4,500 – €5,000 |
| 2nd Engineer | 50–60m | €5,500 – €7,000 |
| Chief / Sole Engineer | 30–40m | €5,000 – €7,000 |
| Chief / Sole Engineer | 40–50m | €6,500 – €8,000 |
| Chief Engineer | 50–60m | €8,000 – €12,000 |
| Chief Engineer | 80–100m | €12,000 – €15,000 |
| ETO | 60–80m | €7,000 – €8,500 |
Source: YPI Crew, 2026. Guides differ: UKSA's 2025 guide puts a chief on 70m+ at €8,500+. Treat these as indicative. For daily pay rather than salary, see our 2026 day rates guide.
YPI says 2:2 time-for-time rotation is now the standard expectation for chief and 2nd engineers, and that hybrid propulsion and sustainability skills are increasingly valued.
On a 73m yacht like Nautilus, the engine department is a team of several engineers rather than one sole engineer, and pay bands climb with length. Photo: J K Thorne, CC BY 4.0.
Yacht engineer FAQ
Do you need an engineering degree to be a yacht engineer?
No. AEC 1 has no entry qualification and most yacht engineers come up through the Experienced Seafarer Route. A degree or marine apprenticeship opens the faster Alternative Route.
Can I still get a Y4 ticket?
No. The yacht route closed to new applicants on 31 December 2022. Existing Y tickets can be revalidated or converted to a Small Vessel CoC.
Is AEC a Certificate of Competency?
No. AEC 1 and AEC 2 are completion certificates that let you work as a junior or small-yacht engineer, and they're the first step toward an SV CoC.
How much does a superyacht engineer earn?
YPI Crew's 2026 guide puts 3rd engineers at €4,000–5,500 a month on 60–80m yachts and chief engineers on 80–100m yachts at €12,000–15,000.
Get seen for yacht engineer jobs
Once your tickets are sorted, sign up free as crew on Radius. Upload your ENG1, STCW and CV, check in at a port, and captains, heads of department and recruiters can see you're there on a live map.