How to become an Assistant Purser
Nobody starts as an Assistant Purser. The usual path starts as a Steward / Stewardess, a job you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Assistant Purser at about year 3 to 4 of a yacht career.
The pathFrom no experience to Assistant Purser. A typical path, not a rule.
Steward / Stewardess
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,000 a month. Stewards and stewardesses keep a superyacht's interior immaculate, serve guests and run laundry and housekeeping to five-star standard.
Second Steward / Second Stewardess
Year 2. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. The second steward or stewardess is deputy to the chief stew, running service, housekeeping and the junior interior team when the chief is off.
Assistant Purser
Year 3-4. Pay from about US$4,500 a month. Assistant Purser supports the purser on 80m+ yachts with crew admin, accounts, guest logistics and port paperwork, plus some interior service.
Before you applyWhat a Steward / Stewardess needs, from the Steward / Stewardess guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
Gets you hired
- GUEST Introduction to Yacht Interior
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
- Barista or cocktail course
- Silver service training
Later, for Assistant Purser
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA)
Visas
- US B1/B2 visa
- Schengen visa for non-EU crew
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Steward / Stewardess for silver service and plated service, cabin and heads detailing and laundry and fabric care. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. A background in five-star hospitality is the closest match, for example work as a front of house team member.
Write each job on your CV as what you did, with numbers: how many guests, how many boats, how many covers. Then list every skill below that you can prove.
- Silver service and plated service
- Cabin and heads detailing
- Laundry and fabric care
- Cocktails and barista coffee
- Wine knowledge
- Flower arranging and table styling
- Discretion with high-profile guests
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Steward / Stewardess must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training and ENG1 medical certificate before a yacht can put you to work as a Steward / Stewardess.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Steward / Stewardess CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then the work that transfers: five-star hospitality.
See a Steward / Stewardess CV example →Create your crew profile
Upload that CV and we build your profile from it. Your name and contact details stay hidden. Captains and recruiters contact you. It is free.
Create your crew profile →Apply and look for daywork
Apply to open jobs and to crew agencies, and take daywork: a few paid days on a yacht is how most first-time crew get a reference. 4 Steward / Stewardess jobs are open on SuperyachtRoles.com now.
See open Steward / Stewardess jobs →Step up to Second Steward / Second Stewardess
The usual path puts Second Steward / Second Stewardess at year 2. Pay starts from about US$3,800 a month.
How to become a Second Steward / Second Stewardess →
Steward / Stewardess jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com. Some ask for experience, so read each advert.
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become an Assistant Purser with no experience?
Not directly. Assistant Purser is junior work. The usual path starts as a Steward / Stewardess, which you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Assistant Purser at about year 3 to 4.
How long does it take to become an Assistant Purser?
The usual path puts Assistant Purser at about year 3 to 4 of a yacht career, after Steward / Stewardess and Second Steward / Second Stewardess. It is a typical path, not a rule: time on busy yachts and the tickets you pass move it.
What does a Steward / Stewardess earn at the start?
From about US$3,000 a month, by our Steward / Stewardess guide. On a busy charter yacht, tips often add one to two months' salary per season, usually split equally among the crew. Permanent contracts typically come with 30 to 45 days' annual leave, and some large yachts offer rotation.
Other paths from Steward / StewardessAll roles
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