Yacht Jobs in Florida

Searching for a yacht captain or stewardess role in Florida? Meridian makes it easy to access verified yacht jobs across various ranks and departments.

From seasonal charter runs to permanent billets on long-range vessels, Florida sees consistent crew movement throughout the year. Moreover, key marinas keep vessels close, and recruiters, including private yacht owners, actively use our platform to source qualified candidates.

Meridian is the yachting industry's leading digital job board with 45,000+ active crew, hundreds of agencies, and a platform designed to get you hired without the red tape. Join the platform today and start getting the latest job alerts that match your requirements.

First Officer/Chief Mate
- Temporary

VIEW
  • LocationWest Palm Beach, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length176' to 210' (54 to 64 meters)
  • Vessel FlagCayman Islands
  • LocationMiami, FL, USA
  • Salary4500
  • Vessel Length90m+
  • Vessel FlagForeign (Non-US)

Steward(ess)
- Full-Time

VIEW
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length80' to 110' (25 to 33 meters)
  • Vessel FlagCayman Islands
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length80' to 110' (25 to 33 meters)
  • Vessel FlagCayman Islands
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
  • Vessel FlagUnited States of America
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
  • Vessel FlagCayman Islands

Dive Instructor
- Freelance

VIEW
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
  • Vessel FlagCayman Islands
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryTBD on Experience
  • Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
  • Vessel FlagJamaica
  • LocationWest Palm Beach, FL, USA
  • Salary6000 EUR
  • Vessel Length45m
  • Vessel FlagForeign (Non-US)
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • Salary5000
  • Vessel Length33m
  • Vessel FlagForeign (Non-US)

Why Work in Florida?

Working in Florida places you in a market that strikes a balance between year-round activity and seasonal opportunities. Since the state's marinas are important stops for ships travelling longer US coastal routes, crew demand doesn't completely go away with the seasons.

  • A diverse recruiting environment is present due to the combination of private yachts, charter companies, and refit facilities in Florida. The range of vessels available accommodates both short-term contracts and long-term billets.
  • The high-demand windows in Florida are defined by charter seasons, but wise employees explore beyond those peaks. For those who pay attention, maintenance seasons, delivery routes, and private owner schedules produce a more constant stream of opportunities.
  • If you're looking to pursue a long-term career in yachting, Florida is a decent option because it's not as crowded as large hubs like Fort Lauderdale while still being busy enough to get employment on a regular basis.

Yacht Job Salaries in Florida

Pay in the yachting sector in Florida varies across departments and vessel categories. One consistent advantage: most positions include food and accommodation, meaning your take- home is close to your entire salary. That makes the numbers more impressive than they first appear. Estimated ranges by department:

  • Deck: $2,500 – $10,000+/month (deckhand to captain)
  • Interior: $2,500 – $9,000+/month (junior stew to chief stew or head chef)
  • Engineering: $4,000 – $12,000+/month (assistant to chief engineer)

Charter work adds gratuity income on top of salary — the industry standard is around 10–15% of the charter fee, split among crew. For busy charter vessels, this can add several thousand dollars per month during peak season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Timing and presence are everything for finding yachting jobs in Florida. Create your profile on online job boards, consistently look on social media platforms, and if possible, physically visit docks with your CV and relevant documents. Learn about the peak hiring windows in Florida and make sure your Meridian profile is complete and visible well before those periods. Employers search the database, too, so they may come to you rather than you searching for them.

Rather than targeting one city, consider the routes vessels take through Florida. Ports along those paths, where yachts refuel, restock, or switch crew, are often the hottest spots for job opportunities.

It depends on the role. Deck crew typically need STCW. Interior crew (stewards/stewardesses) benefit from STCW plus food safety and service training. Engineers need formal marine engineering qualifications. Some positions will also ask for specific vessel endorsements.

In yachting, seasonal positions are among the most accessible. Keep an eye on the months before peak season for Florida, as this is when job postings are most prevalent, and captains are most open to new crew.

While Meridian is witnessing salaries as high as $70,000, they can go as low as approximately to $20,000. Please remember that multiple factors, such as the size of the vessel, your experience and skill level, and the position you're looking forward to working in, can heavily impact the salary.

Areas with deep-water marinas, well-established refit yards, and close proximity to well-liked charter routes are usually the busiest for yachting in Florida. These are the places where ships gather and where you can find tons of crew opportunities.

Walking the public docks and asking for day work on yachts alone won't work for you in 2026. Upgrade your search capacity by signing up for the leading yacht crew recruitment websites, like Meridian. It's free to join and lets you apply to unlimited jobs, including all active postings in Florida. Besides, it's so simple to create and update a profile on Meridian. You just need to upload your CV, and the platform automatically prepares a digital profile for you. Once your profile is live, you'll start getting the notifications for the latest yacht job posts, and can apply instantly within a few clicks.

Why Use Meridian for Your Yacht Career?

Meridian has helped thousands of yacht owners, management companies, and recruiters find exceptional captains and crew for amazing yacht vacancies since Crew4Yachts was founded in 2006, continuing after its acquisition in 2020.

Beyond this, here are other reasons why you should use Meridian to jump-start your yacht career:

  • Fast hiring cycle: It takes less than 2 minutes to upload your CV so that hiring yacht owners, captains, and recruiters can search our platform to find, contact, shortlist, and hire you. 
  • Trusted by captains and recruiters globally: We have been in the game since 2006, constantly connecting owners and recruiters with competent captains. 
  • Easy-to-use yacht crew database: Our platform is user-friendly, making it the best choice for owners, captains, and recruiters. 
  • Meridian grows with you: Today, you may be looking for work; tomorrow, you may be looking for crew. Within your account, you can easily switch from crew to employer.

Posting job vacancies or searching our platform for experienced crew takes just a few minutes.

How Our Platform Works

Join for free in under two minutes. Instantly get discovered by hundreds of employers hiring yacht crew, receive job alerts tailored to you, and apply for opportunities around the world.

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