Cost of yacht crew.....

Based on questions often asked, I thought it might be beneficial to start this thread.

Captains $50k to $300k

Senior Masters typically are on boats over 160'. The majority earn $160-240k but they range from $140-300k

Captains of boats in the 100' to 160' range typically earn $80-180k with a range of $65-200k.

Junior Captains, typically 60-100' boats normally earn $60-100k with a range of $50-110k

Typically captains with 10+ years experience will make over $100k, those with 5 to 10 years will earn at least $75k.

First Officer and Second Officer/OOW $70k-150k

These positions normally are on boats in excess of 160'. A First Officer will earn $85 to $110 with a range of $70-150k and a Second officer and/or OOW will earn $60-100k with a range of $50-110k.

Mate and Bosun $35k-85k

These positions generally are on boats of 100'+. Mates generally earn $60-70k with a range of $40-85k Bosuns generally earn $40-60k with a range of $35-70k.

Deckhands $22k-60k

An experienced deckhand will generally earn $30-40k with a range of $30-60k. Junior Deckhands with less than a year of experience will normally earn $24-28k but a range of $22-35k.

Engineers $30k-250k

Unlimited Chief Engineers will typically earn $140-170k but have a range of $120-250k.

Other Chief Engineers and 2nd engineers with lesser ratings typically earn $75-140k but have a range of $60k-170k depending on level of license and size of boat and machinery.

Junior Engineers or OOW Engineer, often not yet licensed will typically earn $35-70k with a range of $30-90k.

There are also specialties like Electronics Engineers who earn $35-115k.

Stews $25-120k

Chief Stews will generally earn $60-100k with a range of $55-120k.

Other stews will generally earn $30-65k with a range of $25-$75k.

Chefs and Cooks $30-140k

Executive chefs with more experience, on larger boats, typically with Sous Chef's as well, will typically earn $100-120k with a range of $80-140k.

Chefs, typically on boats over 100' will generally make $55-85k with a range of $50-100k.

Cooks for smaller boats will typically earn $35-45k with a range of $30-50k.

Other

There are also many specialty positions such as personal trainers or massage or stews also cooking or deck hands assisting with interior. Typically additional skills will earn more or make it easier to get jobs.

Rates do vary around the world although not as much in yachting as in commercial. Also, in the US and some other countries taxes and benefits accrue to yacht crew. In the US, you're talking the same taxes as any other employees plus insurance.

I compiled it from a variety of sources, checking them out against each other. Luxyachts has a great deal of useful information. Also, Dockwalk's salary surveys are excellent as they do it by length and have separate numbers for agency ranges and their online poll. Superyacht Crew Academy is interesting because they're in Australia. Superyachtcrewagency has good but old numbers. Crewfinders is useful and also has going daily rates but I think their numbers are dated. Then crew4crew looks good but they're just showing Dockwalk's numbers in a different format.

There are also some of the numbers I don't like but not disputing some pay those rates. Just we would never pay that little.

Yes, wrong. I know many immature acting older people and our younger crew is quite mature. I believe anytime you restrict your hiring pool in such a manner, you simply reduce the available candidates and lower your odds of getting the best. I do believe in intensive interviewing designed to determine skill and fit and that would also include mature behavior.

We do ask questions in crew interviews we would not ask for an office or retail job because we're interviewing for skilled workers who could put our lives in danger but also interviewing for housemates who we will live with a large part of the year.

Our captains were 56, 53, 29, 25, and 24 when we hired them. Our engineers were 52, 40, 26, and 25 when hired. Our stews were 48, 19, 18, 19, and 20.

We were fortunate with our younger hires, that we had older captains to further their training and also that they had excellent backgrounds. They had both been captains for a while and had great references. The first 25 year old is now 32 and still with us. The 24 year old is still learning but she grew up in the business helping her father on charters and then captaining charters for Moorings in the Virgin Islands. She's highly skilled on power and sail, but still a lot of learning on different boats and cruising in different areas.

I think one of the challenges at any age is finding out the breadth of one's experience. For instance, I met a fishing captain who has for 20+ years always run Hatteras SF's with CAT engines out of South Florida and the Bahamas.

This type limitation can be true in any business. I once had an IT professional apply for a position and he was a VP with the TVA with apparently great qualifications. Only problem was his entire career was limited to purchasing and accounts payable systems. No other experience. No easily transferrable skills. He was looking as he had an option for an early retirement buyout. I had to advise him to stay where he was as outside that area he was going to qualify for a job only making 1/3 of what he made there, that most of us would expect someone at a VP level in IT to have experience and knowledge in every aspect of business.

Daily rates have come up elsewhere so felt like adding here. They will vary greatly as people out of work are sometimes available. All rates I do publish will be based on US crews and only persons fully licensed for the positions.

Captains $300 to $700

Senior Masters typically are on boats over 160'. The majority will require over $600 per day.

Captains of boats in the 100' to 160' range typically are paid $450-550 per day.

Junior Captains, typically 60-100' boats normally are typically paid $400-500 per day but occasionally as low as $300 for short term and easy gigs.

First Officer and Second Officer/OOW $300-500

These positions normally are on boats in excess of 160'. Licensed captains of various ranks but not serving as Master of the boat will earn in these ranges.

Mate, Bosun and Deckhands $175-400

The pay range is a wide spread as qualifications and duties vary widely. Mates and Bosuns on larger boats will typically be in the $300-400 range. Deckhands for smaller boats will be $175-250 with those on the lower end having very little training.

Engineers $300-700

On a daily basis engineers pay will mirror that of captains even though it often falls below on an annual basis. There are generally fewer licensed engineers available for day work.

Stews $150-400

Quality chief stews will be at the upper end of the range and sometimes even above when required on short notice. The lower end of the range reflects the abundance of stews who have completed school but had little experience.

Chefs and Cooks $250-500

A chef for a boat requiring multiple course formal dining will be at the upper end. A chef or cook for a smaller boat, just wanting good food or for crew on a larger boat will typically be toward the lower end.

One major adjustment to make

The vast majority of US crew hired on a daily basis receives tips, whether through charter or from an owner. These tips may add anywhere from 5% to 50% to a trip's pay. A stew hired quickly to fill in on a charter with an otherwise full time crew may earn as much in tips as pay. For a captain, the tips typically will run lower as a percentage but tipping is normal in the industry on day work, even when working for an owner.

One other adjustment

Also one other note on day work. Often people take temporary assignments on jobs requiring less than their qualifications. For instance, a captain may take a position as a mate for a captain he knows. When this is the case, he will not be paid his normal captain's pay but normally will be paid at the upper end of a mate's range.