How to become a Security Officer / Close Protection Officer
Nobody starts as a Security Officer / Close Protection Officer. The usual path starts as a Deckhand / Security, a job you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Security Officer / Close Protection Officer at about year 1 to 2 of a yacht career.
The pathFrom no experience to Security Officer / Close Protection Officer. A typical path, not a rule.
Deckhand / Security
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,500 a month. A deckhand who also runs gangway control, access logging and discreet guest protection, usually backed by PDSD and close protection training.
Security Officer / Close Protection Officer
Year 1-2. Pay from about US$5,500 a month. Protects the owner, family and guests on board and ashore, runs access control and threat planning, and keeps the yacht's security plan working.
Before you applyWhat a Deckhand / Security needs, from the Deckhand / Security guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
Gets you hired
- Ship Security Officer (SSO) certificate
- SIA Level 3 Close Protection or equivalent
- FREC 3 or trauma first aid course
- PWC Personal Watercraft licence
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
Later, for Security Officer / Close Protection Officer
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- SIA Close Protection licence or national equivalent
- Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)
Visas
- US B1/B2
- Schengen right to work or visa
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Deckhand / Security for gangway and access control, discreet close protection and tender driving and launch. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. A background in watersports and boat handling is the closest match, for example work as a watersports instructor.
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.
- Gangway and access control
- Discreet close protection
- Tender driving and launch
- ISPS security procedures
- Threat and risk assessment
- Exterior maintenance and detailing
- Trauma first aid
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Deckhand / Security must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical certificate, PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties) and RYA Powerboat Level 2 before a yacht can put you to work as a Deckhand / Security.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Deckhand / Security CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then the work that transfers: watersports and boat handling.
See a Deckhand / Security 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.
Deckhand / Security guide →Step up to Security Officer / Close Protection Officer
The usual path puts Security Officer / Close Protection Officer at year 1 to 2. Pay starts from about US$5,500 a month.
How to become a Security Officer / Close Protection Officer →
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Security Officer / Close Protection Officer with no experience?
Not directly. Security Officer / Close Protection Officer is senior work. The usual path starts as a Deckhand / Security, which you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Security Officer / Close Protection Officer at about year 1 to 2.
How long does it take to become a Security Officer / Close Protection Officer?
The usual path puts Security Officer / Close Protection Officer at about year 1 to 2 of a yacht career, after Deckhand / Security. It is a typical path, not a rule: time on busy yachts and the tickets you pass move it.
What does a Deckhand / Security earn at the start?
From about US$3,500 a month, by our Deckhand / Security guide. Expect a premium of roughly 500-1,000 USD a month over a standard deckhand for recognised security qualifications. Charter tips can add a further month's salary or more each season, and private yachts with high-profile owners often offer rotation.
Let the yachts come to you
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