Yacht Jobs: Where They’re Posted and 8 Steps to Your First
Yacht jobs are paid crew positions on private and charter superyachts, usually 24 metres and up. You can get one with no experience. Every department hires green crew at entry level, and captains care more about attitude than sea time. What you do need is STCW Basic Safety Training, an ENG1 seafarer medical, a yacht CV and a plan to be in a hub when boats are hiring.
This page is the reference version, updated October 2026. It covers roles, where vacancies get posted, seasons, certs and the steps in order. If you'd rather read how a first season actually goes, start with breaking into the superyacht industry.
Yacht jobs by department: entry roles and what they need
Most yachts have four departments, and each one has a junior role a beginner can apply for. Everyone needs STCW and an ENG1 first. The table shows what gets you hired on top of that.
| Department | Entry role | What you'll actually do | What helps beyond STCW + ENG1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | Junior deckhand | Washdowns, varnish and teak, lines and fenders, tender driving, water toys. A deck dayworker's day | RYA Powerboat Level 2, watersports instructor tickets, a trade (carpentry, painting) |
| Interior | Junior stew / steward(ess) | Cabins, laundry, guest service, table settings, housekeeping. An interior dayworker's day | Hospitality or hotel background, Food Hygiene/Food Safety Level 2, silver service |
| Galley | Crew cook, sole chef on smaller boats | Crew meals, then guest menus as you progress | Culinary training and real kitchen experience. The MCA Ship's Cook Certificate is required on some commercial yachts. See yacht chef jobs |
| Engineering | Junior / 3rd engineer, deck/engineer on small boats | Daily checks, maintenance, generators, watermakers, helping the chief | Mechanical or electrical trade background; the MCA Approved Engine Course (AEC), a ~30-hour entry-level diesel course |
On a yacht like this one, crew split into deck, interior, galley and engine room. On smaller boats one person often covers two departments. Photo: Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Interior and deck are the most common first jobs because boats need more of them. The galley and engine room want a trade you can already show.
Where yacht job vacancies are actually posted
Lots of yacht job openings never get advertised. They're filled from a recruiter's shortlist, a crew-house WhatsApp chat, or a captain asking whether last week's dayworker is free. So use several channels at once.
| Channel | How it works | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew agencies | Register, interview, get put forward for roles | Free to crew. Under MLC 2006 (Standard A1.4), seafarers can't be charged recruitment fees. Access to the bigger boats | Green CVs sit at the bottom of the pile; you need to visit in person and follow up. See agencies in Antibes and Fort Lauderdale |
| Online job boards | Profiles and listings on sites such as Yotspot and YaCrew | Lots of vacancies, easy to apply from anywhere | Every listing gets hundreds of applicants; many want experience |
| Dockwalking | Walking the marinas with CVs, asking for work | Face-to-face, and it's how lots of green crew get their first daywork | Hard on your feet and your morale; some marinas restrict access. How to do it well |
| Daywork | Paid short-term work on a boat, by the day | Experience, references, cash. Often turns into a full-time offer | Irregular; you need to be in a hub. Green crew daywork guide, 2026 day rates |
| Crew houses | Shared crew accommodation with house WhatsApp groups | Jobs get passed around the house chat before anyone posts them | Costs money while you wait. Antibes crew houses |
| Facebook / WhatsApp groups | Captains and crew post daywork and jobs | Fast, and good for last-minute daywork | Noisy, some posts are scams, gone in minutes |
| Radius | Crew check in at their port; captains, heads of department and recruiters see verified crew nearby on a live map | Free for crew. Your ENG1, STCW and CV are verified, so hiring crew can contact you directly | Only works while you're checked in at a port where boats are hiring |
Never pay anyone to get you a job on a yacht. The only things you should be paying for are your own certificates, your medical and your travel.
Yacht hubs and hiring seasons
Yacht job opportunities cluster in a handful of ports and follow two seasons. Hiring happens before each season starts, so plan to arrive early.
| Hub | Season | Peak hiring | Go deeper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antibes / Côte d'Azur | Med, roughly Apr–Sep | Apr–Jun | Yacht jobs in Antibes |
| Palma de Mallorca | Med, roughly Apr–Sep | Apr–Jun (refits over winter) | Daywork hubs: where and when |
| Fort Lauderdale | Florida/Caribbean, roughly Nov–Apr | Oct–Dec | FLL agencies, ENG1 in Fort Lauderdale |
| Boat shows | Monaco (Sep), plus autumn/winter shows | Show build-up week | Event daywork guide, Monaco Yacht Show 2026 |
Port Hercule hosts the Monaco Yacht Show each September as the Med season winds down, and show set-up brings a burst of daywork. Photo: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0.
When the Med season ends, many boats cross the Atlantic for the Caribbean winter, and that's another hiring window.
Antigua's Falmouth Harbour is a winter charter base in the Caribbean. Yachts that cross from the Med in autumn usually fill their crew spots before they leave. Photo: Jukka from Helsinki, Finland, CC BY 2.0.
Certificates you need for yacht jobs
Most captains won't look at your CV until you have two certificates:
- STCW Basic Safety Training. Five modules: Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid, Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, and Proficiency in Security Awareness. It usually takes about five days. The sea survival and firefighting modules need refreshing every five years. STCW courses in Antibes.
- ENG1 seafarer medical. Done by an MCA-approved doctor. The MCA fee is £115, and extra tests can cost more. Read the ENG1 guide, what to expect at the appointment, and which medicals count as ENG1 equivalents if you're getting it outside the UK.
These extras help your CV stand out:
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties), which many yachts ask deck crew to hold
- RYA Powerboat Level 2, for deck crew
- Food Hygiene / Food Safety Level 2, for interior and galley
How to get your first yacht job in 8 steps
- Get STCW and ENG1 done before you travel. Without both, nobody will hire you, even for daywork.
- Build a yacht-format CV. One page, a professional photo, certs listed clearly, and any hospitality or trade experience up top. Here's how to build one before you've ever been on a boat. US yards may call it a resume, but it's the same document.
- Pick a department. Applying as "anything" reads as "no direction". Go for deck or interior unless you already have a trade or kitchen background.
- Budget for a buffer. Plan for several weeks of rent and food without a paycheck. Running out of money is the most common reason green crew go home.
- Go to a hub before the season starts. That means Antibes or Palma in spring, Fort Lauderdale in autumn. It's very hard to land a first job from your sofa.
- Work every channel at once. Register with agencies in person, dockwalk in the mornings, and join the crew-house and daywork groups.
- Check in on Radius. Once you're in port, check in so captains and recruiters nearby can see your verified certs and CV on the map. Rather than refreshing a dozen Facebook groups, let the boats come to you.
- Treat every day of daywork as a trial. Turn up early, don't touch your phone, and ask what's next. Plenty of permanent jobs start with "can you come back tomorrow?"
Yacht jobs: quick answers
Can you get a yacht job with no experience?
Yes. Junior deckhand and junior stew roles are built for green crew, and plenty of boats hire people with nothing but STCW, an ENG1 and a good attitude. Daywork is usually how you get from no experience to a permanent job.
Which yacht job is easiest for beginners?
Junior stew is generally the easiest way in, especially with a hotel or hospitality background. Junior deckhand comes next and suits people who are practical and comfortable on the water.
Can couples get yacht jobs together?
Yes, usually in roles that complement each other, like deck and stew, captain and chef, or engineer and stew. It's harder, though, because one boat has to have two open berths at the same time, so expect to wait longer and to take smaller boats.
Do foreigners need a visa for yacht jobs?
Often, yes. As of October 2026, crew on a private yacht in US waters are generally expected to hold a B1/B2 visa rather than a crewmember visa, and ESTA doesn't cover arriving by private yacht. Check with the US State Department before you go. In Europe, non-EU nationals can generally stay in the Schengen area for 90 days in any 180-day period, and that limits how long you can job-hunt there. Your status once you're employed depends on the yacht's flag and contract, so ask the agency or captain.
How do I find yacht jobs near me?
Unless you live in a yacht hub, there probably aren't any. Yacht jobs are concentrated in places like Antibes, Palma and Fort Lauderdale, so the realistic move is to get your certs at home and then travel to a hub in season.
Where are yacht jobs in Europe?
Mostly on the French Riviera (Antibes, Cannes, Monaco) and in Palma de Mallorca. Italy, Greece and the rest of Spain have work too, mainly in summer.
How much do entry-level yacht jobs pay?
The UKSA 2025 superyacht salary guide lists deckhands at €2,800–€3,500 a month and stews at €2,200–€2,500 on 45m+ yachts. Food and accommodation are included, and charter tips come on top. Daywork pays by the day; see 2026 yacht crew day rates.
Start your yacht job search
Crew and dayworkers: sign up free, upload your ENG1, STCW and CV, and check in at your port so captains nearby can find you. Captains and recruiters hiring for the season can find verified crew on the Radius live map.