How to become a Hairdresser / Hairstylist
Nobody starts as a Hairdresser / Hairstylist. The usual path starts as a Steward / Hairdresser, a job you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Hairdresser / Hairstylist at about year 2 to 5 of a yacht career.
The pathFrom no experience to Hairdresser / Hairstylist. A typical path, not a rule.
Steward / Hairdresser
Year 0-2. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. A steward or stewardess who also cuts, colours and styles guests' hair on board, doing full interior duties alongside a professional salon trade.
Hairdresser / Hairstylist
Year 2-5. Pay from about US$4,000 a month. Hairdresser on a large superyacht, styling owners, guests and crew, often alongside spa or interior duties on yachts of 70m and above.
Before you applyWhat a Steward / Hairdresser needs, from the Steward / Hairdresser guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- Hairdressing qualification (NVQ Level 2 or 3, or national equivalent)
Gets you hired
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
- GUEST Interior Crew Introduction
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- Colour or barbering certificate
- Wine and Spirit Education Trust Level 1 or 2
Later, for Hairdresser / Hairstylist
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- NVQ Level 3 Hairdressing or equivalent salon qualification
Visas
- Schengen visa (non-EU crew)
- US B1/B2 visa
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Steward / Hairdresser for blow-dries and event styling, cutting and colour correction and silver service and wine service. 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.
- Blow-dries and event styling
- Cutting and colour correction
- Silver service and wine service
- Guest cabin housekeeping
- Laundry and fabric care
- Discreet guest manner
- Working to tight timings
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Steward / Hairdresser must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical certificate and Hairdressing qualification (NVQ Level 2 or 3) before a yacht can put you to work as a Steward / Hairdresser.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Steward / Hairdresser 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 / Hairdresser 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. 1 Steward / Hairdresser job is open on SuperyachtRoles.com now.
See open Steward / Hairdresser jobs →Step up to Hairdresser / Hairstylist
The usual path puts Hairdresser / Hairstylist at year 2 to 5. Pay starts from about US$4,000 a month.
How to become a Hairdresser / Hairstylist →
Steward / Hairdresser jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com. Some ask for experience, so read each advert.
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Hairdresser / Hairstylist with no experience?
Not directly. Hairdresser / Hairstylist is mid level work. The usual path starts as a Steward / Hairdresser, which you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Hairdresser / Hairstylist at about year 2 to 5.
How long does it take to become a Hairdresser / Hairstylist?
The usual path puts Hairdresser / Hairstylist at about year 2 to 5 of a yacht career, after Steward / Hairdresser. It is a typical path, not a rule: time on busy yachts and the tickets you pass move it.
What does a Steward / Hairdresser earn at the start?
From about US$3,800 a month, by our Steward / Hairdresser guide. Expect a few hundred dollars a month above a plain stew of the same rank. Charter tips, often 5 to 15 percent of the charter fee split among crew, can add several thousand dollars a season, and some guests tip directly for styling.
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