What the job involves day to day
The work starts with the contract. Under the MCA's guidance on the Maritime Labour Convention, every seafarer on a UK sea-going ship covered by the rules must have a written seafarer employment agreement (SEA). The SEA has to state the health and social security benefits the employer provides, and the longest spell on board before the crew member is entitled to repatriation. That spell can be no more than 12 months, less the statutory paid leave due. As soon as the SEA is signed, the crew member must get a signed original.
Then comes the monthly run. Crew must be paid in full at intervals of no more than a month, and they must get a written account each month. For employees the account lists name, date of birth, discharge book number, capacity on board, the period covered, the amounts due and every deduction. A final account is due within one month of leaving. Where pay goes out in a currency or at a rate other than the one agreed, the statement has to show the exchange rate. Crew must also have a way to send part or all of their wages home, and conversion charges have to stay reasonable.
Why social security is the hard part
Yacht crew come from many countries and work on yachts flagged in other countries again. That mix decides who pays what, and the payroll manager has to get it right for each person. The Professional Yachting Association explains that EU, EEA and Swiss crew on a Malta-flagged yacht generally have to be insured in Malta. The employer registers them, gets them a PE number and a tax number, and pays in both the employer's and the employee's shares. There are exceptions, for example where employer and employee live in the same member state and the crew member is already insured there.
France is another example. Trade press reports that since 1 July 2017, crew who spend more than 183 days in a 365-day period in France can fall under French social security unless they already pay into an EEA system or the system of a country with a treaty with France. US crew carry FICA obligations, and Australian employers pay superannuation. A payroll manager needs a working map of all this, along with good contacts among accountants who specialise in crew.
Who employs payroll staff
Yacht management companies, crew agencies and the crew departments of larger yachting houses employ this role. YaCrew groups it under shore-based admin and HR jobs, where the work covers recruitment, payroll, logistics and crew coordination. Yotspot describes a crew employment and payroll administrator who arranges staff payments and checks that crew welfare meets SEA standards. Yotspot also notes that in smaller firms the post may not exist on its own and the crew manager does the work instead.
On board, the same work often falls to the purser on large yachts. YPI Crew lists crew administration, payroll included, among the purser's duties. That makes a purser or a chief stew with admin experience a natural fit for the shore role, alongside people who come from shore payroll or HR.
What it pays
No source gives a pay survey for crew payroll managers alone. The nearest guide is Superyacht Content's analysis of UK job adverts with stated pay, drawn from Yotspot, Superyacht Content and YaCrew in 2025 to 2026. It covers yacht managers and management company staff together and puts the median at £42,000 a year. Payroll roles may sit below or above that median, depending on seniority and how many yachts you run. At the junior end, Yotspot lists the crew employment and payroll administrator role at EUR 2,000 to EUR 2,500 a month.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. Superyacht Content's analysis of UK job adverts with stated pay (Yotspot, Superyacht Content, YaCrew, 2025-26), covering yacht manager and management company staff together, not payroll alone. The figures come from job adverts. Seniority, location and the size of the fleet you handle move the figure. Refer to the Yacht & Crew Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- MLC wage rulesKnow the MLC rules: crew are paid at least monthly, get a monthly account showing deductions and any exchange rate, and can send money home.
- SEA contentBe able to draft and check seafarer employment agreements, including the social security benefits, leave and repatriation terms.
- Social security by jurisdictionUnderstand how flag state, residence and nationality decide contributions, for example Malta registration for EU crew on Malta-flagged yachts.
- Multi-currency payrollRun monthly pay in several currencies and record the exchange rate wherever payment differs from the agreed currency.
- Working under deadlinesYotspot lists working to strict deadlines and staying calm under pressure as core skills for the payroll administrator role.
By location
| Malta flag | EU, EEA and Swiss crew are generally insured in Malta. The employer registers them and pays both shares, with exceptions where crew are already insured in their own member state. |
|---|---|
| France | Crew spending more than 183 days in a 365-day period in France may owe French social security unless they already pay into an EEA system or the system of a treaty country. |
| United States | US crew are liable for FICA, which is split into social security and Medicare. Totalisation agreements with some countries prevent double contributions. |
| Australia | Employers pay superannuation into the employee's chosen fund. The rate went up in stages from 9.5 per cent between 2021 and 2025. |
How to get there
- StartBuild payroll or crew admin experienceThis can be shore payroll or HR work, or purser and senior interior work on board, where crew administration and payroll are part of the job.
- NextJoin a crew department as an administratorThe work is arranging crew payments, checking SEAs and keeping crew documents in order for several yachts.
- LaterTake over payroll for a fleetYou become responsible for the monthly run, social security filings and compliance with each flag's rules. In smaller firms the crew manager may cover this.
Open now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Related pages
Questions people ask
Do I need to have worked on yachts?
No source makes sea time a requirement for this job. Time as a purser helps, because pursers on large yachts already handle crew administration and payroll, and that makes it easier to talk to captains and crew.
How often must crew be paid?
Under the MLC rules set out by the MCA, crew must be paid in full at least monthly. Each month they must also get a written account of what was due, what was paid and what was deducted.
What happens if pay is late?
Under the UK rules in MGN 478, wages paid late in breach of the SEA carry interest at 20 per cent a year until they are paid in full. This does not apply where the delay came from a genuine mistake, a reasonable dispute, or something else that was not the employer's fault.
Why does the exchange rate matter?
Crew are often paid in a different currency from the one in their contract. When that happens, the MLC requires the monthly account to show the exchange rate used, and conversion charges must stay within reasonable limits.
Who registers crew for Malta social security?
The employer does. According to the Professional Yachting Association, the employer files the registration, the crew member gets a PE number and a tax number, and the employer pays in both shares of the contribution.
Sources
- GOV.UK (MCA): MGN 478 Amendment 1, MLC seafarers' wages
- GOV.UK (MCA): MGN 477 Amendment 5, seafarer employment agreements
- GOV.UK: Seafarer working and living rights, Maritime Labour Convention
- Yotspot: Crew Employment and Payroll Administrator
- YaCrew: Admin / HR jobs
- PYA: Social security on a Malta-flagged vessel
- SuperyachtNews: Social security for crew, USA, NZ, Australia and UK
- SuperyachtNews: Crew social security, including Australian superannuation
- YPI Crew: Purser jobs
- Superyacht Content: UK management staff pay from job ads
