Lighthouse Careers
Household Staff and Yacht Crew Salaries 2026
What yacht crew and private household staff earn. Yacht crew pay is shown from the placements we made in 2025 and 2026 next to what published guides report. Household pay is shown for the UK and US from named 2026 sources. Every figure says where it comes from.
Key findings
- Yacht deckhands placed by Lighthouse Careers earn a median of €3,500 a month (24 placements). Published 2026 guides give €2,000 to €4,500 and above.
- Chief stewardesses we placed earn a median of €7,050 a month (22 placements), against a published €3,000 to €10,000 and above.
- Captains we placed earn a median of €13,000 a month (7 placements). Published guides give €4,000 to €23,000 and above, rising with yacht size.
- Butlers earn $90,000 to $200,000 a year in the United States and £50,000 to £105,000 in the United Kingdom, according to published 2026 guides.
- Estate managers earn $145,000 to $425,000 and above a year in the United States and £75,000 to £220,000 and above in the United Kingdom, depending on the size of the estate.
- Private nannies earn $60,000 to $170,000 a year in the United States and £50,000 to £95,000 in the United Kingdom. Senior, Norland-trained UK nannies are reported above that.
Yacht crew
Euros per month. The published range covers all yacht sizes, from small superyachts to 100m and above, so the top of each range is a large yacht. Our medians are shown where we placed five or more people with a recorded salary.
| Role | Lighthouse placements, median | Published 2026 guides |
|---|---|---|
| Captain | €13,0007 placements | €4,000 to €23,000 and aboveYPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Chief Officer / First Officer | €7,0005 placements | €3,000 to €10,000 and aboveYPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Bosun | Not enough placements | €3,200 to €6,000YPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Deckhand | €3,50024 placements | €2,000 to €4,500 and aboveYPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Chief Engineer | Not enough placements | €5,000 to €15,000 and aboveYPI CREW |
| Second Engineer | Not enough placements | €4,500 to €9,000YPI CREW |
| ETO / AV-IT | €7,8006 placements | €7,000 to €10,000 and aboveYPI CREW |
| Purser | Not enough placements | €7,000 to €10,000 and aboveYPI CREW |
| Chief Stewardess | €7,05022 placements | €3,000 to €10,000 and aboveYPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Second Stewardess | €4,60011 placements | €3,500 to €6,500 and aboveYPI CREW |
| Experienced Stewardess | Not enough placements | €2,800 to €4,500 and aboveYPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Junior Stewardess | Not enough placements | €2,000 to €3,500YPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Head Chef | €9,0009 placements | €3,000 to €10,000 and aboveYPI CREW, Flying Fish |
| Sous Chef | Not enough placements | €4,000 to €6,000 and aboveYPI CREW |
Private household staff
Gross annual salary. Each range runs from the lowest minimum to the highest maximum reported by the named guides, so it spans smaller households to larger ones. UK figures are in pounds and US figures in dollars. Do not compare them directly.
| Role | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Butler | £50,000 to £105,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu | $90,000 to $200,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu, Talent Gurus |
| House Manager | £70,000 to £120,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu | $85,000 to $180,000Morgan & Mallet, Talent Gurus |
| Estate ManagerMulti-property estates sit at the top of the range. | £75,000 to £220,000 and aboveMorgan & Mallet, Oplu | $145,000 to $425,000 and aboveMorgan & Mallet, Oplu, Talent Gurus |
| Personal AssistantUK figure is from one source. | £60,000 to £135,000Morgan & Mallet | $80,000 to $250,000Morgan & Mallet, Talent Gurus |
| NannyOplu reports senior, Norland-trained UK nannies at £95,000 to £140,000 and above. | £50,000 to £95,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu | $60,000 to $170,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu, Talent Gurus |
| Housekeeper | £42,000 to £80,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu | $75,000 to $160,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu, Talent Gurus |
| Private ChefTravelling chefs are paid more than resident chefs. | £65,000 to £200,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu | $100,000 to $310,000 and aboveMorgan & Mallet, Oplu, Talent Gurus |
| Chauffeur | £50,000 to £90,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu | $80,000 to $140,000Morgan & Mallet, Oplu |
How this was put together
- Yacht crew medians come from Lighthouse Careers placements with a start date in 2025 or 2026 and an agreed salary recorded in euros. Amounts under 1,000 are excluded as recording errors. Samples are small, so read them as indications.
- Household figures are not our placement data. We do not yet have enough household placements with a recorded salary to publish our own. The ranges are those reported by the named guides below.
- The guides use different methods, and Flying Fish presents its table as a guide only. Where one guide covers a role, the row names it. Actual pay depends on location, experience, responsibilities and package, and some roles include accommodation.
Sources
- YPI CREW, Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026Based on live recruitment data and real placements handled by YPI CREW, in euros per month
- Flying Fish, Superyacht Crew Salary Guide 2026Presented as a guide only, in euros per month
- Morgan & Mallet, Household Staff Salaries Annual Report 2025/26Drawn from its database of 50,300+ candidates and thousands of household placements across the US, UK, Europe and Middle East, January 2024 to October 2025
- Oplu, Private Staff Salary Guide 2026Benchmarked against its own live placements and searches. Ranges reflect the ultra-high-net-worth segment, not the mid-market
- Talent Gurus, Household Staff Salary and Compensation Guide 2026Benchmarks for the US market, annual base in dollars. Shown here as the 25th to 75th percentile
How to cite
Lighthouse Careers, Household Staff and Yacht Crew Salaries 2026, https://www.lighthouse-careers.com/salary-report/
You are welcome to quote our placement figures with a link to this page. For anything sourced from another guide, please cite that guide. For a comment on the data, contact us.
Hiring household staff or yacht crew?
We send a shortlist of vetted, reference-checked candidates within 24 hours. No upfront fees.