Head Chef / Sole Chef salary
Northrop & Johnson prints US$5,000–6,000 a month at under 30m and US$15,000+ at 100m+. YPI Crew prints €4,500–6,000 a month at under 30m and €10,000+ at 100m+.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, as printed
Monthly pay as printed in two 2026 crew salary guides, with the leave package from YPI Crew. Each figure links to its guide. The annual column is 12 × the monthly figure (our calculation). Last checked 31 October 2026.
Head Chef / Sole Chef
| Yacht size | Northrop & JohnsonUS$ a month | Northrop & JohnsonUS$ a year | YPI Crew€ a month | YPI CrewLeave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30m | 5,000–6,000 | 60,000–72,000 | 4,500*-6,000 | Non-rotational |
| 30–40m | 6,000–9,000 | 72,000–108,000 | 5,000*-7,500 | 2:2 or non-rotational |
| 40–50m | 8,000–11,000 | 96,000–132,000 | 6,000–9,000 | 2:2 or non-rotational |
| 50–60m | 10,000–13,000 | 120,000–156,000 | 6,500**-9,000 | 2:2 or non-rotational |
| 60–80m | 10,000–15,000 | 120,000–180,000 | 7,000–9,000 | 2:2 rotation or non-rotational |
| 80–100m | 15,000+ | 180,000+ | 9,000+ | 2:2 or non-rotational |
| 100m+ | 15,000+ | 180,000+ | 10,000+ | 2:2 rotation |
- YPI marks: * new to yachting, ** rotation, *** combined cook/stew or cook/deck.
- YPI says its figures are indicative starting ranges. It says rotational pay is generally 10–20% lower a month, and that pressure to offer leave or rotation now starts at 40–50m.
- Sources: Northrop & Johnson, 2026 Yacht Crew Salary Guide (US$) and YPI Crew, Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026 (€).
Where the two guides disagree
Cells where the numbers differ. YPI's euros are converted to US$ at the European Central Bank euro reference rate of 1.1172 (30 October 2026). The gap compares midpoints. Largest gap first.
| Role | Yacht size | Northrop & JohnsonUS$ a month | YPI Crew€ a month | YPI Crewin US$ | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Chef / Sole Chef | 60–80m | 10,000–15,000 | 7,000–9,000 | 7,820–10,055 | YPI 28% lower |
| Head Chef / Sole Chef | 50–60m | 10,000–13,000 | 6,500**-9,000 | 7,262–10,055 | YPI 25% lower |
| Head Chef / Sole Chef | 40–50m | 8,000–11,000 | 6,000–9,000 | 6,703–10,055 | YPI 12% lower |
| Head Chef / Sole Chef | 30–40m | 6,000–9,000 | 5,000*-7,500 | 5,586–8,379 | YPI 7% lower |
| Head Chef / Sole Chef | Under 30m | 5,000–6,000 | 4,500*-6,000 | 5,027–6,703 | YPI 7% higher |
Gaps of 20% or more are in bold. Cells with an open figure, such as 6,000+, are left out.
Advertised payFrom live job ads
SuperyachtRoles.com shows advertised pay for a position once ads with pay come from ten or more employers, with no one employer over a third of them. This position does not meet that rule yet, so this page uses the two guides.
The roleFrom the crew role guide
The only chef on board, cooking for guests and crew on yachts of roughly 25m to 50m, and running menus, provisioning and the galley budget alone.
