Day-rate guide

Honest day-rate ranges by role and region, in euros. No agency averaging, no recruiter inflation — what crew we know are actually being paid in 2026.

ROLE × REGION · DAY RATE

ALL VALUES IN EUR / DAY · UPDATED MAY 2026

Role

Mediterranean

Caribbean

Pacific

Notes

Deckhand

120–180

130–200

140–210

Entry-level. STCW + ENG1 usually required.

Steward / ess

130–190

140–210

150–220

Service experience valued. STCW required.

Chef / Cook

180–280

200–300

200–320

Formal culinary training a plus. Provisioning skills.

Engineer

200–300

220–320

230–350

Mechanical / electrical certs. Engine hours matter.

First Mate

200–280

220–300

230–320

Yachtmaster Offshore minimum. Watch-keeping experience.

Bosun

160–240

180–260

180–280

Deck team lead. Maintenance + watersports skills.

Skipper / Captain

250–400

280–450

300–500

Yachtmaster Ocean or MCA Master. Full responsibility.

Deckhand

MED

120–180

CARIB

130–200

PACIFIC

140–210

Entry-level. STCW + ENG1 usually required.

Steward / ess

MED

130–190

CARIB

140–210

PACIFIC

150–220

Service experience valued. STCW required.

Chef / Cook

MED

180–280

CARIB

200–300

PACIFIC

200–320

Formal culinary training a plus. Provisioning skills.

Engineer

MED

200–300

CARIB

220–320

PACIFIC

230–350

Mechanical / electrical certs. Engine hours matter.

First Mate

MED

200–280

CARIB

220–300

PACIFIC

230–320

Yachtmaster Offshore minimum. Watch-keeping experience.

Bosun

MED

160–240

CARIB

180–260

PACIFIC

180–280

Deck team lead. Maintenance + watersports skills.

Skipper / Captain

MED

250–400

CARIB

280–450

PACIFIC

300–500

Yachtmaster Ocean or MCA Master. Full responsibility.

READING THE RANGES

Where the floor and ceiling come from.

Vessel size

Under 30 m sits near the floor; 50 m+ pushes through the ceiling. The biggest single multiplier — a deckhand on a 55 m superyacht clears double what they'd earn on a 28 m sailing yacht in the same port.

Season vs delivery

Charter weeks run 20–30% above these numbers; deliveries and yard-time sit at or just below the floor. Treat charter pay as bonus, not baseline.

Certifications

STCW + ENG1 is table-stakes; everything above that is leverage. PDSD, AEC, Yachtmaster Ocean, language skills (FR / IT / ES / RU) each shift the range upward.

Years on the same boat

Loyalty pays — owners would rather raise an existing crew member 10% than retrain. Year three on the same boat usually clears your peers at year one elsewhere.

Region & flag

Caribbean is hotter than the Med on identical roles for identical work — partly tip culture, partly the dollar economy. Pacific (mostly NZ / Fiji / Tahiti programmes) commands a remoteness premium.

Charter vs private

Private programmes pay slightly less but include more downtime; full charter programmes pay more but burn through people. Both legitimate. Pick on temperament.

WHAT'S NOT IN THE TABLE

Tips, bonuses, food and bed.

TipsCharter tips sit at roughly 10% of charter fee, split by share-points. On busy boats this is often a third of total pay.
Food + bedStandard on board, never deducted. Don't accept a job that tries.
BonusesMost boats pay an end-of-season bonus — typically 2–4 weeks' pay. Owners pay for retention, not for the role.
TravelJoining flights covered. Repatriation at season-end usually covered. Negotiate before signing, not after.

HONESTY NOTE

These are not industry surveys.

Numbers come from sailors we talk to, contracts crew share with us (anonymised), and listings active in the job board this season. Survey averages from agencies trend higher because they're skewed toward 50 m+ programmes. Treat the floor as realistic entry, the ceiling as what an experienced sailor on a serious programme actually clears.

See live job board →

Always negotiate against your specifics. Ranges are guidance, not bids. A second-season deckhand with an Atlantic crossing in the logbook is closer to the ceiling than the floor. Have the conversation upfront — once you've signed, the leverage is gone.