Pay is the first thing most people want to know before they commit to a season at sea, and it is a fair question. Superyacht salaries are genuinely good for an entry level role with no degree required, but the numbers you see thrown around online are often inflated or stripped of context. Below are indicative monthly ranges for every main role, broken down by department, so you can see roughly where you would start and how far the ladder climbs.
A note on these figures. All the ranges below are indicative monthly pay in euros, the industry standard reference currency. They are blended from published 2026 crew salary guides, principally YPI Crew and Foreland Marine, and they exclude tips and bonuses. Real pay varies by vessel size, rotation, flag and the individual package, so treat these as a guide and always confirm the actual offer before relying on it.
What drives yacht crew pay
Before the tables, it helps to understand the three levers that move every number on this page:
- Vessel size. This is the single biggest factor. A deckhand on a 30m yacht and a deckhand on an 80m yacht do a similar job for very different money. Pay climbs with length and gross tonnage at every rank.
- Rank and certification. Each rung up the ladder, gated by the certificates and sea time covered in our career pathways, lifts your pay band. Qualifications are what unlock the next bracket.
- Rotation. A rotational role, where you work a set period then take an equal period off, usually pays less per month than an equivalent permanent role, because you are effectively being paid for half the year. It is a lifestyle trade, not a pay cut to be alarmed by.
Two things these figures never include: tips, which on a busy charter yacht can add a meaningful amount on top but are never guaranteed, and your living costs, which are close to zero at sea because food and accommodation are provided. That is why crew can save so hard.
Deck department salaries
Deck is the most common entry point and the most certificate-driven path, running from green deckhand all the way to captain. Pay rises steeply with vessel size and rank.
| Role | Indicative monthly pay |
|---|---|
| Junior deckhand | €2,500 to €3,500 |
| Bosun | €3,500 to €5,500 |
| Officer of the Watch (Mate) | €3,500 to €7,500 |
| Chief Officer | €5,500 to €12,000 |
| Captain | €6,000 to €25,000+ |
Indicative monthly ranges in euros. Pay scales with vessel size, rotation and flag, and excludes tips and bonuses. See the full deck career path for the certificates behind each rank.
Engineering department salaries
Engineering is the highest paid technical path on board pound for pound, reflecting how hard it is to find good engineers and how much responsibility the role carries. The progression is steep once you hold management level tickets.
| Role | Indicative monthly pay |
|---|---|
| Junior / 3rd Engineer | €3,500 to €5,000 |
| Second Engineer | €4,500 to €7,000 |
| Chief Engineer | €6,000 to €20,000 |
Indicative monthly ranges in euros, excluding tips and bonuses. See the full engineering career path for the AEC, MEOL and CoC route behind each rank.
ETO salaries
The Electro-Technical Officer is a specialist role found on larger yachts, responsible for the increasingly complex electronics, AV, IT and electrical systems on board. It is a strong, well paid niche for the technically minded.
| Role | Indicative monthly pay |
|---|---|
| ETO, 40m to 60m | €4,500 to €5,500 |
| ETO, 60m and above | €5,500 to €8,000 |
Indicative monthly ranges in euros, excluding tips and bonuses. See the full ETO career path for the qualifications behind the role.
Interior department salaries
Interior is the other main entry point alongside deck, and the path that leads to the highly paid Purser role on large yachts. Service standards are exacting, but the pay reflects the skill involved at the senior end.
| Role | Indicative monthly pay |
|---|---|
| Junior stewardess | €2,500 to €3,500 |
| Second / service stewardess | €3,000 to €4,500 |
| Chief stewardess | €4,500 to €8,000 |
| Purser | €6,000 to €10,000+ |
Indicative monthly ranges in euros, excluding tips and bonuses. See the full interior career path for the GUEST modules and certificates behind each rank.
Galley salaries
A good yacht chef is worth their weight in gold, and the pay shows it. Even a junior chef starts above a junior deckhand, and a talented head chef on a large charter yacht commands one of the best packages on board.
| Role | Indicative monthly pay |
|---|---|
| Crew / junior chef | €3,500 to €5,000 |
| Sole chef | €5,000 to €7,500 |
| Head chef | €6,500 to €12,000 |
Indicative monthly ranges in euros, excluding tips and bonuses. See the full galley career path for the food safety and culinary qualifications behind each rank.
How to actually move up the pay bands
Every jump in the tables above is unlocked by certificates and logged sea time, not by time served alone. A deckhand does not become a Mate by waiting; they pass through RYA Yachtmaster and the MCA Officer of the Watch CoC. A junior stew becomes a Chief Stew by stacking GUEST modules and proving they can run an interior. If you want the higher numbers, the route is clear:
- Get the entry tickets first. Nobody earns anything without STCW Basic Safety Training and an ENG1 medical. These are the price of admission.
- Log every day at sea. Sea time is the currency of progression. Lose the record and you lose the promotion, so track it from day one.
- Stack the next qualification. Compare providers, dates and prices for every course on the ladder in the YachtSync training directory, then book the one that unlocks your next pay band.
If you are still working out which department suits you, the career pathways break down each one in full, and our guide on how much it costs to become yacht crew shows the investment to get started against the salaries above.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a yacht deckhand earn?
A junior superyacht deckhand typically earns an indicative €2,500 to €3,500 per month before tips, rising with vessel size and experience. A Bosun, the senior deck crew role, sits around €3,500 to €5,500 per month. These are indicative ranges and vary by vessel and flag.
How much does a superyacht captain earn?
A superyacht captain earns an indicative €6,000 to over €25,000 per month, the widest band of any role because it scales so steeply with vessel size. A captain on a smaller motor yacht sits near the bottom, while a captain on a large 70m plus vessel sits at the top.
Do yacht crew salaries include tips?
No. The figures in this guide are base salary only and exclude tips and bonuses. On charter yachts, tips can add a meaningful amount on top, often shared across the crew, but they are never guaranteed and vary hugely by vessel and season.
Is yacht crew salary paid in euros or pounds?
Most commonly euros, as the Mediterranean is the heart of the industry, although US dollars are common on vessels based in the Americas. This guide uses the euro because it is the industry standard reference currency in the published salary guides.
Related guides: How much does it cost to become yacht crew → · How to get a superyacht job with no experience → · How to write a yacht CV → · Career pathways →