How to become a Third Engineer
Nobody starts as a Third Engineer. The usual path starts as an Assistant Engineer, a job you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Third Engineer at about year 1 to 3 of a yacht career.
The pathFrom no experience to Third Engineer. A typical path, not a rule.
Assistant Engineer
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,500 a month. Junior engine room role on larger superyachts.
Third Engineer
Year 1-3. Pay from about US$4,000 a month. Junior engineering officer on larger yachts, running daily rounds, planned maintenance and engine room watches under the second and chief engineer.
Before you applyWhat an Assistant Engineer needs, from the Assistant Engineer guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- PDSD
Gets you hired
- AEC 1 (Approved Engine Course)
- AEC 2
- Engine Room Watch Rating
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- Trade qualification (mechanical, electrical or HVAC)
Later, for Third Engineer
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- AEC 1 and 2 (Approved Engine Course)
- PDSD
Visas
- US B1/B2 visa
- Schengen visa (non-EU nationals)
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire an Assistant Engineer for engine room rounds and logs, filter and oil changes and basic electrical fault-finding. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. A background in marine engineering ashore is the closest match, for example work as a marine mechanic.
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.
- Engine room rounds and logs
- Filter and oil changes
- Basic electrical fault-finding
- Pump and plumbing repairs
- Tender and jet ski servicing
- Planned maintenance systems
- Bunkering and fluid transfers
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets an Assistant Engineer must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical certificate and PDSD before a yacht can put you to work as an Assistant Engineer.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Assistant Engineer CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then the work that transfers: marine engineering ashore.
See a Assistant Engineer 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.
Assistant Engineer guide →Step up to Third Engineer
The usual path puts Third Engineer at year 1 to 3. Pay starts from about US$4,000 a month.
How to become a Third Engineer →
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Third Engineer with no experience?
Not directly. Third Engineer is junior work. The usual path starts as an Assistant Engineer, which you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Third Engineer at about year 1 to 3.
How long does it take to become a Third Engineer?
The usual path puts Third Engineer at about year 1 to 3 of a yacht career, after Assistant Engineer. It is a typical path, not a rule: time on busy yachts and the tickets you pass move it.
What does an Assistant Engineer earn at the start?
From about US$3,500 a month, by our Assistant Engineer guide. On charter yachts, tips are usually shared equally and can add USD 1,000 to 3,000 a month in season. Rotation is rare at this level, so expect a permanent post with 30 to 45 days' annual leave.
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