Yacht captains work their way up the deck department, building sea miles and licenses until they take command.
6 to 12+ years from deckhand to a solid command. A first command is often a 20m to 30m yacht.
Entry pay is about $5,000 to $8,000 a month, rising to $12,000 to $35,000 with experience. See the full yacht captain salary guide.
Once you have your tickets, get in front of hiring captains and managers. Create a free crew profile, then browse yacht captain jobs and apply directly with no agency fees.
At a minimum, STCW basic safety training and an ENG1 seafarer medical, plus the role-specific tickets listed above.
Many people enter as green crew. The fastest route is getting your certificates, building a strong CV, and dockwalking or daywalking in a hub port. Sign up free to get started.