Yacht Salary Guidelines 2026
Yacht Salary Guidelines 2026
What does a deckhand earn on a 45 metre yacht, and what should a chief engineer expect on 80 metres? We have put the two most used published salary guides for 2026 side by side and drawn one set of ranges from them, department by department.
How to read these tables
- Every figure is a monthly salary in euros.
- Each cell runs from the lowest to the highest figure published for that position and yacht size in the two guides we used: the Yotspot salary guidelines and the YPI CREW Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026. Where only one of them gives a figure, that figure is shown.
- YPI CREW describes its figures as indicative starting ranges that vary with role, experience, qualifications and the yacht's requirements. Treat every range here the same way: a guide for a conversation, not a pay scale.
- Yotspot publishes figures up to 99 metres, so the 100m+ column comes from YPI CREW alone. A dash means neither guide lists the position at that size.
Yacht crew salaries 2026 by department
Captain, officers and deck
| Position | Below 30m | 30–40m | 40–50m | 50–60m | 60–80m | 80–100m | 100m+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | €5,000 – 6,000 | €6,000 – 9,000 | €8,500 – 13,000 | €10,000 – 16,000 | €14,000 – 20,000 | €16,000 – 23,000 | Negotiated |
| Chief Officer / First Mate | €3,200 – 4,500 | €3,500 – 5,000 | €4,600 – 7,000 | €5,500 – 8,000 | €6,500 – 10,000 | €8,000 – 15,000 | €9,500+ |
| First Officer | – | – | – | – | – | – | €7,500 – 9,500 |
| Second Officer | – | – | – | €5,000 – 6,000 | €5,500 – 7,000 | €6,000 – 7,500 | €6,500 – 7,500 |
| Third Officer | – | – | – | – | €4,500+ | €5,500 – 6,500 | €5,500 – 6,500 |
| Bosun | – | €3,500 – 4,500 | €3,750 – 4,500 | €4,000 – 5,000 | €4,000 – 5,500 | €4,200 – 5,500 | €5,000 – 6,000 |
| Deckhand (experienced or specialised) | €2,500 – 3,000 | €2,500 – 3,250 | €3,000 – 4,000 | €3,500 – 4,000 | €3,500 – 4,000 | €3,800 – 4,500 | €3,800 – 4,000 |
| Junior Deckhand | €2,500 – 3,000 | €2,500 – 3,200 | €2,500 – 3,200 | €2,500 – 3,200 | €2,500 – 3,000 | €2,700 – 3,000 | €2,800 – 3,000 |
On smaller yachts the Chief Officer is usually called the Mate or First Mate. YPI CREW notes that yachts over 100 metres or 3,000 GT typically carry both a First Officer and a Chief Officer, and that at this size a Captain's salary is discretionary, which is why the table says "Negotiated". Specialised deckhands include tender drivers, divers, carpenters, kite surfers, videographers and photographers.
Engineering
| Position | Below 30m | 30–40m | 40–50m | 50–60m | 60–80m | 80–100m | 100m+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Engineer | – | €4,500 – 7,000 | €6,000 – 8,000 | €7,000 – 12,000 | €7,000 – 12,000+ | €11,000 – 15,000 | €13,000 – 15,000+ |
| First Engineer | – | – | – | – | – | – | €8,500 – 10,000 |
| Second Engineer | – | – | €3,500 – 5,000 | €4,500 – 7,000 | €6,000 – 8,000 | €7,000 – 9,000 | €6,500 – 7,500 |
| Third Engineer | – | – | – | – | €4,000 – 5,500 | €5,000 – 6,000 | €5,000 – 6,000 |
| Motorman | – | – | – | – | – | €3,500 – 5,000 | €3,500 – 5,000 |
| ETO and AV/IT Officer | – | – | – | – | €6,000 – 8,500 | €7,000 – 10,000+ | €9,000 – 10,000+ |
Engineering pay follows the ticket the yacht needs. YPI CREW ties the Chief Engineer ranges to the qualification normally required at each size: AEC or EOOW at 30 to 40 metres, Y3 or SV Chief 3000 kW at 40 to 50 metres, Y1 or SV Chief 9000 kW from 50 to 80 metres, Y1 or Class I at 80 to 100 metres and Class I above that.
Galley
| Position | Below 30m | 30–40m | 40–50m | 50–60m | 60–80m | 80–100m | 100m+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Chef | €4,500 – 6,000 | €4,000 – 7,500 | €5,500 – 9,000 | €6,000 – 9,000 | €7,000 – 9,000 | €9,000 – 11,000 | €10,000+ |
| Sole Chef | €3,500 – 4,000 | €4,000 – 6,000 | €5,500 – 7,500 | – | – | – | – |
| Sous Chef / Second Chef | – | – | €4,000 – 5,000 | €4,000 – 6,000 | €5,000 – 6,500 | €6,000 – 7,000 | €6,000+ |
| Third Chef | – | – | – | – | – | €4,500 – 5,500 | €4,500 – 5,500 |
The lower end of the Head Chef and Sous Chef ranges on smaller yachts is where YPI CREW places chefs who are new to yachting. On 40 to 50 metre yachts its Sous Chef figure also covers combined cook and stew or cook and deck positions.
Interior
| Position | Below 30m | 30–40m | 40–50m | 50–60m | 60–80m | 80–100m | 100m+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purser | – | – | – | – | €6,500 – 8,500 | €7,500 – 10,000 | €8,500+ |
| Chief Steward(ess) | – | €4,000 – 6,500 | €4,500 – 7,000 | €5,200 – 7,500 | €6,500 – 8,500 | €7,000 – 10,000 | €8,500+ |
| Head of Service / Head of Housekeeping | – | – | – | – | €4,500 – 6,000 | €5,000 – 6,500 | €6,000+ |
| Second Steward(ess) | – | €2,800 – 3,500 | €3,500 – 5,000 | €4,000 – 5,500 | €4,500 – 6,000 | €5,000 – 6,500 | €6,000+ |
| Steward(ess), 1 to 3 years, or sole | €3,500 – 4,000 | €3,000 – 4,000 | €3,000 – 4,500 | €3,300 – 4,500 | €3,300 – 4,500 | €3,300 – 4,500 | €3,300 – 4,500 |
| Junior Steward(ess) | €3,000 – 3,500 | €2,500 – 3,500 | €2,800 – 3,500 | €2,800 – 3,500 | €2,800 – 3,500 | €3,000 – 3,500 | €3,000 – 3,500 |
YPI CREW points out that an experienced stew on a yacht under 30 metres usually works alone as a sole stew, which explains the higher starting figure there. For specialist interior positions on yachts over 40 metres it lists €4,000 to €5,500 for a spa therapist with advanced training, €3,500 to €4,500 for a masseuse or beautician and for a personal trainer, €4,000 to €5,000 for a nurse, and from €3,500 for a laundry master on yachts over 60 metres.
Leave and rotation are part of the package
Salary is only half of an offer. The YPI CREW guide publishes a leave package next to every salary, and the pattern is clear:
| Yacht size | Senior crew | Junior crew |
|---|---|---|
| Below 40m | 60 days of leave a year for the Captain and Mate | 45 to 50 days for deck crew, 60 days or more for stews |
| 40 to 60m | 60 days or equal rotation for the Captain; equal rotation for engineers from 50 metres | 50 to 90 days for deck crew, 60 days or more for stews |
| 60 to 100m | Equal rotation for the Captain, officers, engineers, Purser and Chief Stew | 90 days or 3:1 rotation on deck, 60 to 90 days or more for stews |
| 100m+ | Equal rotation across senior positions | 3:1 rotation on deck, 90 days or more for stews |
YPI CREW also reports that yachts keep offering rotation at every level in the galley to secure the best candidates, and that yachts with flexible rotation and leave see stronger retention and a wider choice of candidates. When you compare two offers, compare the months you work for the money as well as the money.
What moves you up or down a range
- Qualifications. Both guides tie Captain, officer and engineer pay to the certificate held. The next ticket is usually the surest pay rise.
- Yacht size. Most ranges rise with length, and senior positions rise fastest.
- Experience and longevity. The low end of a range is a starting salary. Time in the position, and time on one yacht, moves you towards the top.
- Rotation. A rotational position and a full-time one with the same title are different packages. Look at salary and leave together.
- Extra skills. Tender driving, diving, carpentry, spa, nursing or fitness training can lift a junior position into a specialist one.
Before you accept an offer
Get the figure, the currency, the leave and the pay date in writing in your Seafarer Employment Agreement before you join. Our guide to Seafarer Employment Agreements in the news section sets out what the agreement must contain.
Use the guide on Crew HQ
Crew: keep your profile, certificates and availability up to date so captains and recruiters who search crew find you at the right level, and see who is hiring on the yacht jobs page. Captains and recruiters: a job advert with a salary inside these ranges and a clear leave package gets better applicants. Crew HQ is not an agency, so there is no placement fee on top of the salary you agree. Register free or compare memberships.
Sources
Ranges drawn from the Yotspot salary guidelines and the YPI CREW Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026, both as published on 13 October 2026. The figures belong to their publishers; the combined ranges, the leave summary and the commentary are by Crew HQ. Nothing here is an offer or a guarantee of pay.
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