Deckhand pay by yacht size
Northrop & Johnson's 2026 guide gives junior deckhands one flat figure of US$3,500 a month, from yachts under 30m to those over 100m. Specialised deckhands earn more: US$3,500-4,500 on 30-40m and US$4,000-5,500 on every band from 40m upwards. The guide prints no specialised figure under 30m. It counts tender drivers, carpenters, divers, kite surfers, videographers and photographers as specialised deckhands. The guide has no separate line for an experienced deckhand, so a deckhand with a few seasons behind them falls somewhere between the two.
YPI Crew's 2026 deck guide is in euros and splits the role three ways. Junior deckhands get €3,000 under 30m, €3,000-3,200 from 30m to 60m and €2,800-3,000 from 60m up. Experienced deckhands get €3,200-3,500 on smaller yachts, rising to €3,750-4,000 from 60m. Specialised deckhands get €3,250 at 30-40m and €3,800-4,000 above that. Note that YPI puts juniors slightly lower on the largest yachts. What a big yacht gives you is rotation and leave: 45 days a year under 30m, rising to 3:1 rotation on the largest yachts.
What a first-season deckhand can expect
Expect to start below the guide figures. Yotspot puts entry-level deckhands at €2,500-2,800 a month. A Quay Crew advert for a deckhand on a 30m motor yacht offered €2,500 to green candidates and €3,500 to experienced ones, with 30 days' leave. In a Dockwalk article, a crew agent put starting pay for a junior deckhand in the Med at €2,500, and about €3,000 for a newcomer with a skill such as watersports instruction. YaCrew lists junior deckhands at €2,000-3,000.
Pay has moved slowly at entry level. Dockwalk reported that the bottom of the deckhand range rose from US$2,800 in 2021 to US$3,000 in 2023, and a recruiter it quoted said entry-level pay had barely moved for years. Before the first job, many green crew pick up daywork on the dock. Yotspot puts this at €100-120 a day. Budget for this stretch out of your own pocket. Dockwalk described one South African newcomer paying about US$2,200 to travel to Fort Lauderdale and about US$1,200 a month to live there while she looked for work.
How the pay package works
The monthly figure is only part of the deal. Yotspot says most crew live and eat on board, so day-to-day costs are low. It lists the usual benefits as a cabin on board, meals while on duty, uniforms and travel to and from the yacht. Medical insurance depends on the employer, and paid leave applies to permanent crew. Read your contract for each of these, because they vary from boat to boat.
On a charter yacht, guest tips can add a good deal over a season, though Yotspot is clear they are never guaranteed. Private yachts rarely tip regularly, but some pay discretionary bonuses. Leave grows with yacht size. In YPI's tables a junior deckhand moves from 45 days a year on a small yacht to 3:1 rotation above 80m.
What raises a deckhand's pay
Skills and tickets move the number. YPI says secondary skills are worth a premium: photography, videography, carpentry, diving, watersports instruction and fitness. It names Tender Operator, Yachtmaster Offshore, PDSD, RYA PWC and PWCI as tickets that captains now look for beyond STCW. It also calls the Yacht Rating Certificate one of the most requested requirements for experienced deck roles. Yotspot adds RYA Powerboat Level 2 to that list.
The bigger step is rank. Northrop & Johnson puts a bosun at US$3,500-4,500 a month on 30-40m, rising to US$5,000-6,000 on yachts over 100m. Sea time on larger yachts, extra duties and a clean reference record are how deckhands get there.
Pay
USD a month. Figures are from Northrop & Johnson's 2026 Yacht Crew Salary Guide, in US dollars a month. It prints no specialised deckhand figure under 30m. YPI Crew 2026 figures are in euros and appear in the text. Yacht size, experience and specialist skills move the figure. Refer to the deckhand pay page for pay by yacht size.
What you need
- STCW Basic Safety TrainingBluewater says you will not get a job on a charter yacht without it, and most private yachts require it too. Yotspot lists it first for deckhands.
- ENG 1 medicalGOV.UK says you need an ENG 1 to serve on a yacht, issued by an MCA-approved doctor. The examination fee is capped at £115.
- Yacht CVYotspot lists a professional yacht CV alongside STCW and a valid ENG 1 or accepted equivalent.
- Tender and powerboat ticketsYotspot names RYA Powerboat Level 2, and YPI names Tender Operator and RYA PWC, as tickets that raise a deckhand's value.
- Yacht Rating CertificateYPI says it is one of the most requested requirements for experienced deck roles and recommends getting it early.
- PDSDBoth Yotspot and YPI list Proficiency in Designated Security Duties among the qualifications that help a deckhand's pay.
How to get there
- StartDaywork and first jobGreen crew often start on daywork at €100-120 a day (Yotspot), then take a first junior deckhand post. Green adverts and agency figures sit around €2,500-2,800 a month.
- First seasonsJunior deckhandNorthrop & Johnson puts the post at US$3,500 a month at every size. YPI puts it at €2,800-3,200, depending on size.
- With sea timeExperienced deckhandYPI pays €3,200-3,500 on smaller yachts and €3,750-4,000 from 60m, with longer leave or rotation.
- With extra ticketsSpecialised deckhandA tender, dive, carpentry, watersports or media skill lifts pay to US$4,000-5,500 from 40m (Northrop & Johnson).
- LaterBosunNorthrop & Johnson puts bosuns at US$3,500-4,500 on 30-40m, rising to US$5,000-6,000 above 100m.
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Questions people ask
How much does a junior deckhand earn on a superyacht?
Northrop & Johnson's 2026 guide gives US$3,500 a month at every yacht size. YPI Crew puts juniors at €2,800-3,200 a month, and slightly lower on yachts over 60m.
What does a green deckhand earn in a first season?
Yotspot puts entry-level deckhands at €2,500-2,800 a month. A Quay Crew advert for a 30m motor yacht offered €2,500 to green candidates. Newcomers with a skill such as watersports instruction can sometimes start nearer €3,000.
Do deckhands pay for food and accommodation?
Usually not while working. Yotspot says most crew get a cabin and meals on board, along with uniforms and often travel to and from the yacht. Your costs between jobs, such as a crew house while looking for work, are your own.
Do bigger yachts pay deckhands more?
For specialised deckhands, yes: Northrop & Johnson goes from US$3,500-4,500 at 30-40m to US$4,000-5,500 from 40m. For juniors it does not, as the figure is flat. The bigger gain on large yachts is leave, with YPI showing 3:1 rotation above 80m.
Do deckhands get tips?
On charter yachts, guest tips can add a good deal over a season, but Yotspot says they are never guaranteed. Private yachts rarely tip regularly, though some pay discretionary bonuses.
Which tickets raise a deckhand's pay?
YPI names Tender Operator, Yachtmaster Offshore, PDSD, RYA PWC and PWCI, and calls the Yacht Rating Certificate a common requirement for experienced deck roles. Specialist skills such as diving, carpentry and photography also earn a premium.
Sources
- Northrop & Johnson: 2026 Yacht Crew Salary Guide (US dollars)
- YPI Crew: Superyacht Deck & Bosun Salary Guide 2026
- Yotspot: How much do yacht deckhands get paid?
- Yotspot: Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026
- Yotspot: How to become a yacht deckhand in 2026
- Quay Crew: Deckhand vacancy, 30m motor yacht
- Dockwalk: How to get a job as a deckhand
- Dockwalk: How much does it cost to become yacht crew?
- GOV.UK: Seafarer medical certificates
- Bluewater: Crew training FAQ
