Charter Boat Crew Salaries
- A First Mate on a charter boat can earn $2,000 to $10,000 monthly.
- A chief stewardess salary ranges from $3,000 to $5,250 on a smaller yacht to over $7,000 on a larger yacht.
- Charter captains typically make $20,000 to $100,000 per year depending on experience, vessel size, and location.
Yacht Work and Tips
- Yacht work can be demanding with intense periods when passengers are on board.
- Tips for the first mate are usually 20% of the total charter cost and are divided among the crew.
- Bigger yachts such as super yachts could have up to 15-20 crew members.
Yacht Crew Pay Structure
Yachties typically receive a combination of a basic salary and gratuities (tips). The base pay varies depending on the crew position, experience, and yacht size. Gratuity often makes up a substantial part of their income.
Yacht Crew Tips Handling
- Tips and gratuities are usually pooled and distributed among the yacht crew.
- On Below Deck, crews earn around $15,000 per person in tips over six weeks of work.
- Tips can bring substantial additional income, with collective tips sometimes reaching as high as $30,000 per season.
Yacht Crew Tipping Practices
- Tipping is more common for crew on charter yachts than on private yachts.
- Tips can significantly increase a yachtie’s earnings, especially for those working on charter yachts.
- The crew on Below Deck share tips equally, with the captain participating in the tip share according to Captain Lee Rosbach.