Who makes the most money on a yacht?

The Captain usually makes between $150,000 to $210,000 a year working on a 185-foot superyacht, assuming the Captain is working full-time. Additionally, the Captain can make up to $100,000 on top of the salary they are getting if they charter their yacht for the entire year.



On a superyacht, the Captain is consistently the highest earner, with senior captains on vessels over 100 meters often commanding salaries between €15,000 and €25,000+ per month in 2026. Close behind are the Chief Engineer and the First Officer, whose specialized technical skills are essential for the vessel's operation and safety. For "charter" yachts, the earning potential changes drastically due to tips; a Chief Stewardess or Head Chef can see their base salary nearly double during the peak Mediterranean or Caribbean seasons, as charter guests typically leave a 10%–20% tip of the total weekly charter fee (often $2,000–$5,000 per crew member, per week). While the deckhands and junior stews earn the least in base pay, the "equal tip split" common on 2026 superyachts ensures that even entry-level crew members can earn significantly more than their land-based counterparts.

People Also Ask

The highest-paid deck crew salaries were for captains, reflecting their pivotal role and the large amount of responsibility that they assume. In 2021, captains on a 100-metre-plus (328-foot) yacht were paid an average salary of around €18,000 (c. $19,600) per month, plus a discretionary bonus.

MORE DETAILS

If you're a new yachtie, you can expect to make around $2,500 per month. Over time with more experience and more qualifications, your salary could rise in the range of $3,500 and $4,000 a month.

MORE DETAILS

Guests really do pay for their charter. They spend their real money to be on the show, executive producer Mark Cronin told Bravo TV. But since it may not be the most relaxing trip, guests that are featured on the reality show get a 50% discount on their charter.

MORE DETAILS

The cost of a 3-day charter on Below Deck yachts ranges from $50,000 to $100,000 (€46,000 to €92,000) during the off-season and from $75,000 to $150,000 (€69,000 to €138,000) during the peak season, with some yachts costing even more.

MORE DETAILS

Yacht charter seasons explained Winter/summer seasons each last around six months and refer to both location and time of the year; summer yacht charter season spans from around April/May through October, while the winter season starts in November and runs through April.

MORE DETAILS

At the end of every charter, the whole crew even receives tips from the guests on top of their salaries. On Below Deck, the crew usually brings in around $15,000 per person in tips for about six weeks of work.

MORE DETAILS

Production crew don't sleep on the yacht With limited space on the yacht, it's already hard enough for the yachties to pretend the cameras aren't there. So when it comes time for the TV crew to clock-off for the day, they sleep on a separate boat or head to shore to stay in a hotel.

MORE DETAILS

“Usually it is rare to see private yacht owners giving tips, but it is not rare to see their guests, friends or family coming for a few days at no charge and then compensating the crew if they had a great trip.” “On the yachts, we worked on, definitely not – only charter guests tipped.”

MORE DETAILS

The yachting industry is a notoriously difficult industry to get into; the old phrase 'it's who you know, not what you know' springs to mind! So how do you go about giving yourself the best possible chance of securing yourself that dream job aboard a yacht or superyacht?

MORE DETAILS

But what is the average age of a yacht crew? Students who train with SYSA with the intention of starting a career aboard superyachts are typically between the ages of 18 and 30, with an increasing number in their late 20s and 30s.

MORE DETAILS