Crew is usually one of the largest recurring costs of owning a yacht, and salary is only part of it. Employer contributions, insurance, travel, training, recruitment, rotation and administration all add to the true cost.
This guide focuses on the people side of ownership. For the full annual budget, see Cost of Owning a Yacht. Salary figures shown are third-party market benchmarks with their source; this is general information, not employment, payroll or tax advice.
The short answer
Crew is usually one of the largest recurring costs of yacht ownership. The cost depends on the number of crew, their roles and qualifications, rotation, private or charter use and where they are employed. Salary is only part of it: employer contributions, insurance, travel, training, recruitment and administration are added on top.
Market salary benchmarks
EUR per month, base salary. Selected roles.
| Role | < 30m | 30–40m | 40–50m | 50–70m | 70–80m | 80–100m | 100m+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | 4,500–6,000 | 6,500–9,500 | 8,000–13,000 | 8,500–15,000 | 13,000–20,000 | 15,000–25,000 | Discretionary |
| Chief Engineer | — | 5,200–7,000 | 5,500–8,000 | 8,000–12,000 | 11,000–14,000 | 12,000–15,000 | 13,000–16,000 |
| Second Engineer | — | — | 4,000–6,000 | 5,000–6,500 | 6,000–8,000 | 7,000–8,500 | 7,000–8,500 |
| Experienced Stew (1–3 yrs) | 3,000–4,000 | 3,500–4,500 | 3,500–4,500 | 3,500–4,500 | 3,500–4,500 | 3,500–4,500 | 3,500–4,500 |
| Junior Stew (0–1 yrs) | 2,000–3,500 | 2,000–3,500 | 2,000–3,500 | 2,000–3,500 | 2,000–3,500 | 2,000–3,500 | 2,000–4,000 |
| Junior Deckhand | 2,700–3,000 | 2,700–3,000 | 2,700–3,000 | 2,700–3,000 | 2,700–3,000 | 2,700–3,000 | 2,700–3,000 |
Source: Whitewater Recruitment — Superyacht Crew Salary Guide 2025 (2025), reviewed by Lund Group October 2026. Salary figures are market benchmarks, not minimum wages, quotations or guaranteed hiring levels. Packages vary with yacht, role, qualifications, rotation, private/charter use and candidate experience. Chef salaries are not covered by this source.
Salary is not the full employer cost
No fixed percentage applies. Employer costs depend on contracts, employment structure and jurisdiction.
Departments
Deck
Captain, officers, bosun, deckhands, tender and toy operations
Engineering
Chief and second engineers, ETO, AV/IT on larger yachts
Interior
Chief stew, purser, service and housekeeping
Galley
Head chef, sous chef, crew chef
Crew costs within the ownership budget
The ownership budget covers crew, maintenance, insurance, berthing, fuel, management and more. This guide looks only at crew. Their share of the budget varies widely between yachts, so no fixed percentage is given here.
Go deeperCost of owning a yacht
What the crew budget includes
- Base salaries
- Employer social contributions where applicable
- Crew medical and liability insurance
- Travel to and from the yacht, and repatriation
- Training, certificates and medicals
- Uniforms
- Recruitment fees
- Bonuses, retention and charter tip policy
- Relief and temporary crew
- Payroll and management administration
- Shore accommodation and food when needed
What drives salaries
Pay depends on the role, the yacht's size and complexity, qualifications and experience, rotation, private or charter use and the employment jurisdiction. The benchmark table above shows market ranges by size from a named recruitment source; individual packages will differ.
Captains
Captain pay rises steeply with size and responsibility, reflecting licences, command experience, crew management and budget oversight. On the largest yachts packages are often discretionary.
Engineers
Engineering pay reflects certificates of competency, the complexity of machinery and the yacht's size. Larger yachts add second and third engineers, ETOs and AV/IT specialists.
Interior crew
Chief stews, pursers and senior interior roles are paid according to size, guest programme and team size. Junior and experienced stew ranges stay relatively flat across sizes.
Deckhands
Junior deckhand pay is broadly similar across yacht sizes. Specialist skills such as tender driving, water-sports instruction or diving can command more.
Chefs
Chef pay varies with the guest programme, cuisine expectations, charter use and the chef's background. The benchmark source used here does not include chefs, so no figure is shown; ask a crew agency for current ranges.
How many crew a yacht needs
There is no universal crew-per-metre formula. Numbers depend on layout, guest capacity, programme, service level, charter use, rotation and the safe-manning requirement.
Minimum safe manning
The flag state sets a minimum safe manning level for safe operation. It is a legal minimum, not a service standard; most yachts carry more crew for guest service.
Go deeperYacht registration guide
Service crew
Service crew — interior, galley and guest specialists — are sized to the owner's expectations and guest numbers rather than to safe manning.
Rotation and leave
Rotation means two people share one role, each working a set period. It improves retention and quality but adds salaries, travel and handover cost. Non-rotational roles still carry paid leave.
Seasonal and temporary crew
Some yachts add crew for the season or for specific trips. Temporary crew bring daily rates, travel and onboarding costs.
Private vs charter yachts
Charter yachts typically need commercial manning and certification, a charter tip policy and crew comfortable with intensive guest schedules. Employment requirements on commercial yachts can be stricter.
Employment and payroll structures
Crew may be employed by the owning entity, a management company or a crew employment provider. The employer's jurisdiction, the flag and the Maritime Labour Convention affect contracts, contributions and obligations. Take specialist employment and tax advice.
Crew insurance and medical cover
Crew medical, injury and repatriation cover may sit in the yacht's liability programme or a separate crew policy. It is a recurring cost to budget.
Go deeperYacht insurance guide
Travel and repatriation
Rotation flights, joining and leaving travel, and repatriation obligations are recurring costs, especially for yachts cruising far from crew home bases.
Training and certification
Certificates must be maintained and upgraded. Many owners fund training as part of retention.
Recruitment and turnover
Recruitment fees, onboarding time and lost knowledge make turnover expensive. Stable crew usually cost less over time than frequent replacements.
Bonuses and retention
Season-end bonuses, salary reviews, rotation, training and good living conditions help keep good crew.
Crew accommodation
During refits or shipyard periods crew may need shore accommodation and food allowances.
Management and payroll administration
Management companies often handle payroll, contracts and compliance for a fee. It is part of the real crew cost.
Buying a yacht with existing crew
When buying, check the crew's contracts, employer, accrued leave, notice terms and any liabilities, and decide which crew the buyer wishes to retain before closing.
Go deeperHow to buy a yacht·Purchase due diligence
First-year crew budgeting
The first year often carries extra costs: recruitment, uniforms, training, travel, new contracts and possibly overlapping crew during handover. Build the budget with the captain and management company.
— Preparation tool
Plan your crew budget conversation
Builds a list of topics for your captain, management company and employment advisers.
- Yacht length?
- Use?
- Rotation?
- Season?
- Buying with existing crew?
- Employment structure?
- Management company?
- Guest-facing specialists?
Topics to discuss
Answer a few questions to build your list.
No cost total, crew count or salary offer. Not employment, payroll or tax advice.
— Yacht Desk
Discuss ownership with the Yacht Desk
We help buyers understand the crew side of ownership and introduce captains, management companies and employment specialists. Lund Group is not a crew agency or employer of record.
How this guide is maintained: written and reviewed by the Lund Group Yacht Desk. Salary benchmarks are third-party data, shown with source and year. General information only — not employment, payroll, legal or tax advice.
Questions
- How much does yacht crew cost?
- It depends on crew numbers, roles, rotation, use and employment structure. Salaries are only part of the total.
- What is included in the crew budget?
- Salaries, employer contributions, insurance, travel, training, medicals, uniforms, recruitment, bonuses, relief crew and administration.
- What do yacht captains earn?
- Market benchmarks rise steeply with yacht size; see the sourced table on this page. Individual packages vary.
- What do yacht engineers earn?
- Pay reflects certificates, machinery complexity and size; see the benchmark table.
- What do stewards and stewardesses earn?
- Junior and experienced stew ranges are fairly consistent across sizes; senior interior roles rise with size.
- What do deckhands earn?
- Junior deckhand benchmarks are broadly similar across sizes; specialist skills can add more.
- What do yacht chefs earn?
- It varies with programme and experience. Our benchmark source does not cover chefs, so no figure is shown.
- How does yacht size change pay?
- Senior roles rise with size and responsibility; junior roles change less.
- How does rotation change cost?
- Rotation doubles some roles and adds travel and handover costs, but improves retention.
- Why is salary not the full employer cost?
- Employer contributions, insurance, travel, training, recruitment and administration are added on top.
- How many crew does a yacht need?
- There is no per-metre formula; it depends on layout, guests, programme, rotation and safe manning.
- What is minimum safe manning?
- The legal minimum crew set by the flag state for safe operation.
- Do charter yachts cost more to crew?
- Often, through commercial manning, certification and workload.
- Who employs the crew?
- The owning entity, a management company or a crew employment provider, depending on structure.
- Do crew pay tax and social contributions?
- It depends on residence, employer and jurisdiction. Take specialist advice.
- Are charter tips part of crew pay?
- Tips are paid by charter guests and are separate from salary, but tip policies affect retention.
- What is a typical crew bonus?
- There is no standard; bonuses are set by the owner and captain.
- What are seasonal crew?
- Crew employed for a season or trip rather than year-round.
- Does the owner pay crew travel?
- Usually yes, for joining, rotation and repatriation.
- Does crew turnover cost money?
- Yes: recruitment fees, onboarding and lost experience.
- What happens to crew when a yacht is sold?
- Contracts, leave and liabilities must be reviewed, and the buyer decides whom to retain.
- What should the first-year crew budget include?
- Recruitment, uniforms, training, travel, contracts and possible handover overlap.
- Are the salary figures guaranteed?
- No. They are third-party market benchmarks, not minimum wages, quotations or hiring guarantees.
- Can Lund Group recruit crew?
- Lund Group is not a crew agency; we introduce captains, managers and specialists.
This guide is general information about how the yacht market conventionally works. It is not legal, tax, financial or insurance advice, and it does not describe the terms of any specific yacht. Qualified advisers should be engaged on anything material, and rates, prices, availability and access are confirmed in writing before anything is committed.