How to become a Galley Assistant
You can start as a Galley Assistant with no yacht experience. You need the right tickets, a CV that shows work that transfers, and to be where the yachts hire. This page sets out each step.
Where you startAnd where it leads. A typical path, not a rule.
Galley Assistant
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,000 a month. Entry-level galley crew on larger yachts who prep, wash up, put away provisions and keep the galley clean so the chefs can cook for guests and crew.
Commis Chef / Fourth Chef
Year 1-2. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. The commis or fourth chef is the junior galley role on large yachts, handling prep, crew meals and support for the brigade under the head and sous chef.
Chef de Partie / Third Chef
Year 2-4. Pay from about US$4,000 a month. A Chef de Partie or Third Chef runs one section of a large yacht galley, often crew meals or pastry, under the head chef and sous chef on 70m+ yachts.
Sous Chef / Second Chef
Year 4-6. Pay from about US$4,500 a month. Second in command of a superyacht galley.
Before you applyWhat a Galley Assistant needs, from the Galley Assistant guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Food Hygiene Level 2
Gets you hired
- PDSD
- Food Safety Level 3
- Culinary diploma or NVQ in professional cookery
- Ship's Cook Certificate (once eligible)
Visas
- Schengen visa (non-EU nationals)
- B1/B2 or C1/D for US waters
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Galley Assistant for knife skills and prep, galley hygiene and HACCP and stock rotation and storage. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. A background in professional kitchens is the closest match, for example work as a chef de partie.
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.
- Knife skills and prep
- Galley hygiene and HACCP
- Stock rotation and storage
- Dishwashing at volume
- Crew meal cooking
- Taking instruction quickly
- Stamina on long services
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Galley Assistant must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical and Food Hygiene Level 2 before a yacht can put you to work as a Galley Assistant.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Galley Assistant CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then the work that transfers: professional kitchens.
See a Galley Assistant 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 Galley Assistant jobs are open on SuperyachtRoles.com now.
See open Galley Assistant jobs →Step up to Commis Chef / Fourth Chef
The usual path puts Commis Chef / Fourth Chef at year 1 to 2. Pay starts from about US$3,800 a month.
How to become a Commis Chef / Fourth Chef →
Galley Assistant jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com. Some ask for experience, so read each advert.
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Galley Assistant with no experience?
Yes. Galley Assistant is a first job on yachts. You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical and Food Hygiene Level 2, and work that transfers, such as professional kitchens, puts you ahead of other new crew.
How long does it take to become a Galley Assistant?
It is a starting role, so the time is what it takes to get the tickets and find the first job. From there, the usual path puts Commis Chef / Fourth Chef at year 1 to 2.
What does a Galley Assistant earn at the start?
From about US$3,000 a month, by our Galley Assistant guide. Charter tips are shared equally on most yachts and can add $1,000 to $3,000 a month in a busy Mediterranean season. Food and lodging are covered, so most of the salary is saved.
Other paths from Galley AssistantAll roles
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