What the 2026 salary guides show
Northrop & Johnson's 2026 guide gives no bosun figure under 30m. From 30–40m the range is US$3,500 to 4,500 a month. It climbs slowly with length: US$4,000 to 5,000 at 50–60m, US$4,500 to 5,500 at 80–100m and US$5,000 to 6,000 above 100m. The spread from the smallest band to the largest is about US$1,500 at each end, so length matters, but less than it does for officers or engineers.
YPI Crew's 2026 figures are in euros and track Northrop & Johnson closely: €3,500 to 4,500 at 30–40m, €4,000 to 5,000 at 50–60m and €5,000 to 6,000 on 100m-plus yachts. Because one guide is in dollars and the other in euros, the same printed number is worth a little more in euros. Read both as the same market seen by two agencies, and expect real offers to land either side of them.
The step up from deckhand
Northrop & Johnson prints one flat figure for a junior deckhand: US$3,500 a month on every size of yacht. On a 30–40m boat the bosun's ceiling is only US$1,000 above that. On a yacht over 100m the bosun earns US$1,500 to 2,500 more than a junior. YPI Crew shows a wider gap on big yachts, because it puts juniors on 60m-plus yachts at €2,800 to 3,000 while their bosun sits at €4,000 or more.
One surprise in the tables. Northrop & Johnson pays a specialised deckhand, such as a tender driver, diver or carpenter, US$4,000 to 5,500 from 40m upwards. At 40–50m that top end is above the bosun's US$4,500. A deckhand with a strong second skill can match or beat a bosun's pay on a mid-size yacht. Take the bosun job for the rank and the route to mate, not always for the money.
Leave and rotation
Leave grows with yacht size faster than salary does. YPI Crew lists 50 days a year for a bosun at 30–40m, 50 to 60 days at 40–50m, and 60 to 90 days or equal rotation at 50–60m. From 60m upwards it lists 3:1 rotation, and on yachts over 100m either 3:1 or equal rotation. Weigh this when comparing offers: a smaller monthly figure on a rotational yacht can buy you far more time at home.
What moves a bosun's pay
Size of yacht comes first, then tickets and skills. YPI Crew says captains now look past STCW basics for Tender Operator, Yachtmaster Offshore, PDSD and RYA PWC qualifications, and that the Yacht Rating Certificate is among the most requested for senior deck roles. Specialist skills such as diving, watersports instruction or carpentry earn a premium on deck, according to the same agency.
Real adverts drift from the guides. A Northrop & Johnson bosun vacancy on Yotspot for a 49m motor yacht offered US$5,550 a month, well above the guide's 40–50m band. A Camper & Nicholsons advert for a 44m charter yacht offered €4,000 with 50 days' leave and made a Yachtmaster essential. Charter or private use, the season and how badly a captain needs someone that week all shift the final number.
Pay
USD a month. Figures from Northrop & Johnson's 2026 Yacht Crew Salary Guide, which gives no bosun figure under 30m; YPI Crew 2026 is quoted in euros in the text only. Yacht size and the bosun's experience and tickets move the figure. Refer to the bosun pay page for pay by yacht size.
What you need
- Yacht Rating CertificateThe MCA's Yacht Rating covers yachts under 3000GT. You must be at least 17, hold an ENG1 or accepted equivalent, have basic safety training and 6 months' yacht service including 2 months at sea.
- Yachtmaster OffshoreYPI Crew lists it among the tickets captains now expect of strong deck candidates. Some bosun adverts, such as a Camper & Nicholsons 44m listing, make it essential.
- Tender and PWC ticketsYPI Crew names Tender Operator, PDSD, RYA PWC and PWCI as markers of readiness for senior deck work.
- A second skillDiving, carpentry, watersports instruction or photography raise a deck crew member's value, according to YPI Crew.
- Track recordNorthrop & Johnson notes that captain and officer pay depends on experience and maritime qualifications; time served at rank also helps a bosun on the way to mate.
How to get there
- Year 1Junior deckhandUS$3,500 a month in Northrop & Johnson's guide on any size of yacht. Build sea time towards the Yacht Rating.
- Years 2-3Experienced or specialised deckhandYPI Crew puts experienced deckhands at €3,200 to 4,000. A specialist skill can lift you to US$4,000 to 5,500 in Northrop & Johnson's figures.
- Years 3-5Bosun on a smaller yachtUS$3,500 to 4,500 at 30–40m, with about 50 days' leave in YPI Crew's guide.
- Years 5+Bosun on a large yachtUS$5,000 to 6,000 above 100m, usually on 3:1 or equal rotation.
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Related pages
Questions people ask
How much does a bosun earn on a 50m yacht?
Northrop & Johnson's 2026 guide puts a bosun at US$3,750 to 4,500 a month at 40–50m and US$4,000 to 5,000 at 50–60m. YPI Crew gives the same numbers in euros. Individual adverts can sit above this, such as one 49m vacancy at US$5,550.
Does a bosun earn much more than a deckhand?
On small yachts the gap is narrow: up to US$1,000 a month over a junior deckhand at 30–40m. On yachts over 100m it widens to US$1,500 to 2,500. A specialised deckhand can out-earn a bosun on some mid-size yachts.
How much leave does a bosun get?
YPI Crew lists 50 days a year at 30–40m, rising to 60 to 90 days or equal rotation at 50–60m. From 60m upwards it lists 3:1 rotation, and 3:1 or equal rotation over 100m.
Is there a bosun salary figure for yachts under 30m?
Neither Northrop & Johnson nor YPI Crew prints one. Both guides start their bosun figures at the 30–40m band.
Which tickets help a bosun earn more?
YPI Crew points to the Yacht Rating, Yachtmaster Offshore, Tender Operator, PDSD and RYA PWC qualifications. A specialist skill such as diving or carpentry also adds value on deck.
Sources
- Northrop & Johnson: 2026 Yacht Crew Salary Guide (US dollars)
- YPI Crew: Superyacht Deck & Bosun Salary Guide 2026
- YPI Crew: Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026
- GOV.UK: Able Seafarer, Rating certificates and EDH requirements
- Yotspot: Bosun vacancy, 49m motor yacht, United States
- Camper & Nicholsons: Superyacht crew positions
