Nail Technician
A nail technician looks after the hands and feet of owners and guests on board. You do manicures, pedicures, gel and extensions, often at short notice before dinner or a night ashore in Monaco. Very few yachts hire for nails alone. Most want nails combined with beauty, massage or stewarding, so the more you can offer, the more work you will find.
The jobWhat fills the day
The core of the job is treatments: classic and spa manicures and pedicures, gel polish, removals, BIAB, acrylic or gel extensions and nail art when a guest asks for it. You set up and break down the treatment room, sterilise tools, keep a log of each guest's preferences and order stock well ahead, because you cannot pop to a wholesaler in the Maldives. You also keep the salon area spotless and help with spa laundry and linen.
With guests aboard your diary follows theirs. Expect a quiet morning, then a run of appointments before lunch ashore and another before dinner, sometimes treatments on deck or in a cabin. Between charters you help the interior with detailing and service. On a 50m yacht nails is usually one part of a stew's job. On 80m and above with a full spa, you may be one of several therapists sharing the treatment rooms and rota.
Captains and spa managers hire people with a recognised qualification and solid salon experience, ideally in a hotel spa or high-end salon. Guests on these yachts are used to the best salons in London, Paris and New York, so your finish has to be just as good. Being calm and discreet matters as much as technique. A second skill such as massage, lashes, brows or hair makes you far easier to place.
Most people move up by adding qualifications. A nail tech who trains in massage and facials becomes a beauty or spa therapist, earns more and gets the wider choice of jobs. After a few seasons and some supervisory experience, spa manager on a 90m+ yacht is a realistic aim. Others go the interior route, using their service experience to move into second or chief stew roles.
Skills captains look for
- Gel and BIAB application
- Acrylic and gel extensions
- Spa manicure and pedicure
- Hygiene and tool sterilisation
- Stock ordering at sea
- Discreet guest manner
- Interior service support
A day aboardCharter day, 85m motor yacht, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia
Open the spa, run the autoclave and check the guest diary the chief stew sent overnight. Two guests have asked for gel before lunch at Porto Cervo.
Crew breakfast in the mess and a quick catch-up with the spa manager on the day's rota.
Spa pedicure for the charterer's daughter on the sundeck, then a gel manicure in the treatment room. Note colours and shapes in the guest profile.
Guests go ashore. Deep clean the station, restock and help the interior turn cabins.
Lunch and an hour off in your cabin.
Inventory check. Order more gel removers and files through the purser, to be delivered to the agent in Olbia.
Back-to-back appointments before dinner: a gel removal and reapplication, a quick polish change and a hand massage for a guest who has just come back from the beach club.
Help the stews with dinner turndown, then close down the spa and log the day's treatments.
Off watch. Dinner in the crew mess and an early night.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips, often shared with the interior or spa team, can add 10-15% of the charter fee to the pot over a busy season. Freelance techs flown in for a single charter are paid by the day, usually USD 250-400 plus flights. See the Spa, Wellness & Childcare salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- Recognised nail qualification (NVQ/VTCT Level 2-3 Nail Services, CIBTAC or a state licence)
Gets you hired
- Brand certification such as CND, OPI or The GelBottle
- Beauty therapy NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
- Massage qualification
- GUEST interior or yacht stew course
- Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)
Visas
- B1/B2 US visa
- Schengen right to work or visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Questions crew ask
Can I get a yacht job with only a nail qualification?
Yes, but it is hard. Standalone nail jobs are rare and usually on 90m+ yachts with a full spa. A second skill such as massage, lashes or interior service experience makes you far easier to hire.
Do I need salon experience before joining a yacht?
Most employers want at least two years in a quality salon or hotel spa. Guests expect the same finish they get at home, and on board nobody can fix your mistakes for you.
Who supplies the products and equipment?
The yacht normally pays for stock and equipment, and you order it through the spa manager or purser. Many techs bring their own trusted tools and a starter kit, so check what is already on board before you join.
Where are the jobs?
Recruitment is busiest in Antibes and Palma in spring for the Mediterranean season, and in Fort Lauderdale in autumn before the Caribbean winter. Freelance charter work also comes through crew agents and spa management companies.