The Tipping Point

When you’re looking for work, charter yachts have one fairly large benefit that private boats usually do not — the opportunity to receive tips from guests. The lure is understandable although, of course, there’s no tip guarantee and no way to know how much might be coming your way, but the tipping aspect can be a noteworthy attraction.

It’s been 10 years since we launched our Dockwalk Salary Survey to get the numbers directly from the crew. Our recent 2019 edition included a question about tips, asking respondents approximately how much they receive in tips per month. For 2019, 10 crew agencies and more than 660 captains and crew participated in the survey online, although it should be noted that the crew agencies did not provide tip information. For this data, all numbers provided are monthly estimates provided by survey respondents, and not all positions had responses.

DOLLARS

60-79 feet
Captain: One response: $2,500 on commercial motor yacht; $2,000 to $5,000 on commercial sailing yacht; $0 to $1,000 on private motor yachts; $0 to $2,000 on private sailing yachts
Chief/First Officer: One response: $100 on private motor yachts
Chef: One response: $0 on private motor yachts

80-99 feet
Captain: $0 to $4,000 on private motor yachts; $0 to $2,000 on private sailing yachts
Engineer: $0 to $475 on private motor yachts
Chef: One response: $0 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $1,000 on private motor yachts
Deckhand: One response: $0 on private motor yachts

100-119 feet
Captain: $1,000 to $4,000 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $5,000 on private motor yachts; one response: $1,000 on private sailing yacht
Chief/First Officer: One response: $1,800 on private motor yacht
Engineer: $0 to $100 on private motor yachts
Chef: One response: $3,000 on commercial motor yacht; $0 to $600 on private motor yachts
Chief Stew: $0 to $400 on private motor yachts
Deckhand: One response: $2,000 on commercial motor yachts; $0 on private motor yachts; one response: $0 on private sailing yachts

120-139 feet
Captain: One response: $2,000 on commercial motor yacht; one response: $1,000 on commercial sailing yacht; $0 to $2,000 on private motor yachts
Chief/First Officer: One response: $0 on private motor yacht
Engineer: $0 to $3,000 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $900 on private motor yachts
Chef: One response: $2,000 on commercial motor yacht; $0 on private motor yachts
Chief Stew: $0 to $500 on private motor yachts; one response: $0 on commercial sailing yacht
Deckhand: $0 to $3,500 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $3,000 on private motor yachts

140-159 feet
Captain: $3,000 to $9,000 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $2,000 on private motor yachts
Chief/First Officer: One response: $300 on a commercial motor yacht; $0 on private motor yachts
Engineer: One response: $1,000 on commercial motor yacht; $0 on private motor yachts; one response: $0 on private sailing yacht
Chef: $0 to $6000 on private motor yacht
Chief Stew: One response: $2,000 on commercial motor yachts; one response: $0 on private motor yacht
Deckhand: $100 to $4,000 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $2,400 on private motor yachts; one response: $3,000 on commercial sailing yacht

160-179 feet
Captain: $3,000 to $3,500 on commercial motor yachts
Chief/First Officer: $200 to $3,500 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $3,000 on private motor yachts
Engineer: $0 to $2,500 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $12,000 on private motor yachts
Chef: One response: $0 on private motor yacht
Deckhand: $500 to $3,900 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $210 on private motor yachts

180-199 feet
Captain: $2,500 to $6,000 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $2,000 on private motor yachts; one response: $15,000 on private sailing yacht
Chef: One response: $4,000 on commercial motor yacht; one response: $2,500 on private motor yacht
Deckhand: One response: $3,000 on commercial motor yacht; $0 on private motor yachts

200-239 feet
Captain: One response: $2,000 on commercial motor yacht; $0 to $1,000 on private motor yacht Chief/First Officer: $0 on private motor yachts
Engineer: $1,500 to $2,500 on commercial motor yachts
Chief Stew: One response: $4,000 on commercial motor yachts; one response: $700 on private motor yacht
Deckhand: One response: $0 on private motor yachts

240-259 feet
Captain: $0 to $2,000 on private motor yacht
Chief/First Officer: $0 on private motor yachts
Engineer: One response: $500 on commercial motor yachts; $0 to $500 on private motor yachts

280 feet plus
Chief/First Officer: One response: $1,500 on commercial motor yacht; one response: $0 on private motor yacht
Engineer: One response: $0 on commercial motor yacht; one response: $200 on private motor yacht

EUROS

30-39 meters
Captain: €1,000 to €2,000 on commercial motor yacht; one response: €500 on commercial sailing vessel; €0 to €500 on private motor yachts
Chief/First Officer: €300 to €500 on commercial motor yachts; one response: €100 on private sailing yacht
Engineer: €0 to €1,500 on commercial motor yachts; €0 for private motor yachts; €100 to €2,500 on commercial sailing yachts
Chef: One response: €100 on commercial motor yacht; €0 on private motor yachts
Chief Stew: One response: €1,500 on commercial motor yachts; one response: €300 on private motor yacht
Deckhand: One response: €1,000 on commercial motor yacht; one response: €0 on private motor yacht

40-44 meters
Captain: €250 to €300 on commercial motor yachts
Engineer: One response: €3,000 on commercial motor yachts; €0 to €500 on private motor yachts
Chef: One response: €0 on private motor yacht
Chief Stew: One response: €0 on private motor yacht
Deckhand: €0 to €150 on private motor yachts

45-49 meters
Captain: €0 to €1,400 on private motor yachts; one response: €0 for private sailing
Chief/First Officer: One response: €1,500 on commercial motor yacht; $0 on private motor yachts
Engineer: One response: €4,000 on commercial motor yachts; one response: €0 on private motor yachts
Chef: One response: €7,000 on private motor yachts
Chief Stew: €500 to €1,000 on commercial motor yachts
Deckhand: One response: €0 on private motor yacht

50-54 meters
Captain: €1,800 to €3,000 for commercial motor yacht; one response: €0 for private motor yacht
Chief/First Officer: One response: €1,000 for commercial motor yacht; €0 to €200 range for private motor yacht
Engineer: €0 to €500 on commercial motor yachts; one response: €0 on private motor yachts; one response: €1,000 on commercial sailing yacht
Chef: One response: €1,000 on commercial motor yachts; one response: €0 on private motor yachts
Deckhand: One response: €1,000 on private motor yacht; one response: €0 on private motor yachts

55-59 meters
Captain: €600 to €2,500 on commercial motor yacht; €0 to €1,000 on private motor yacht
Engineer: €0 on private motor yachts. One response: €5,000 on commercial sailing yacht; one  response: €0 on private sailing yacht
Chef: One response: €2,000 on commercial motor yacht; one response: €220 on private motor yacht
Chief Stew: One response: €5,000 on commercial motor yacht; one response: €0 on private motor yacht

60-69 meters
Captain: One response: €1,000 on commercial sailing yacht
Chief/First Officer: One response: €3,000 on commercial motor yacht; €0 on private motor yachts
Engineer: One response: €1,500 on commercial motor yacht; €0 to €1,000 on private motor yachts
Chef: €0 to €1,000 on private motor yachts
Chief Stew: One response: €0 on commercial motor yacht
Deckhand: €1,500 to €3,000 on private motor yachts; €0 on private motor yachts

70-79 meters
Captain: One response: €4,000 on commercial motor yacht; €0 on private motor yachts
Chief/First Officer: €0 to €3,000 on commercial motor yachts; €0 on private motor yachts
Engineer: One response: €500 on commercial motor yacht; one response: €0 on private motor yacht
Chef: One response: €0 on private motor yacht
Chief Stew: One response: €0 on private motor yacht
Deckhand: €0 on private motor yachts

80-plus meters
Captain: One response: €2,000 commercial motor yacht 80-89 meters
Chief/First Officer: €0 to €500 in private motor yachts in 100-plus meter category
Engineer: One response: €500 on commercial motor yachts; €0 to €500 on private motor yachts
Deckhand: €0 on private motor yachts