Chief Engineer salary
Chief Engineer: Northrop & Johnson prints US$6,000–8,000 a month at 30–40m and US$15,000+ at 100m+. YPI Crew prints €5,000–7,000 a month at 30–40m and €13,000–15,000+ at 100m+.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, as printed
Monthly pay as printed in two 2026 crew salary guides, with the leave package from YPI Crew. Each figure links to its guide. The annual column is 12 × the monthly figure (our calculation). Last checked 31 October 2026.
Chief Engineer
| Yacht size | Northrop & JohnsonUS$ a month | Northrop & JohnsonUS$ a year | YPI Crew€ a month | YPI CrewLeave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30–40m | 6,000–8,000 | 72,000–96,000 | 5,000–7,000 | Non-rotational |
| 40–50m | 7,000–10,000 | 84,000–120,000 | 6,500–8,000 | Non or equal rotation |
| 50–60m | 9,000–13,000 | 108,000–156,000 | 8,000–12,000 | Equal rotation |
| 60–80m | 11,000–12,000+ | 132,000–144,000+ | 11,000–12,000+ | Equal rotation |
| 80–100m | 15,000+ | 180,000+ | 12,000–15,000 | Equal rotation |
| 100m+ | 15,000+ | 180,000+ | 13,000–15,000+ | Equal rotation |
1st Engineer
| Yacht size | Northrop & JohnsonUS$ a month | Northrop & JohnsonUS$ a year | YPI Crew€ a month | YPI CrewLeave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100m+ | 8,500–10,000 | 102,000–120,000 | 8,500–10,000 | Equal rotation |
- YPI ties chief engineer pay to the ticket the yacht needs: AEC or EOOW at 30–40m, Y3 at 40–50m, Y1 at 50–80m, Y1 or Class I at 80–100m, and Class I at 100m+.
- 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$) and YPI Crew, Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026 (€).
Where the two guides disagree
In 2 of the 7 cells where both guides give a figure, they print the same number. Northrop & Johnson labels it US$ and YPI Crew labels it €. At the ECB rate of 1.1172 US$ to €1 on 30 October 2026, the euro figure is about 12% more pay. Ask the agency or yacht which currency an offer is in.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Engineer | 40–50m | 7,000–10,000 | 6,500–8,000 | 7,262–8,938 | YPI 5% lower |
| Chief Engineer | 30–40m | 6,000–8,000 | 5,000–7,000 | 5,586–7,820 | YPI 4% lower |
| Chief Engineer | 50–60m | 9,000–13,000 | 8,000–12,000 | 8,938–13,406 | YPI 2% 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 Chief Engineer runs every machine and system on board, leads the engine room team, controls the technical budget and answers to the captain.
