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.

  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
  • Vessel FlagUnited States of America

Chief Engineer
- Rotational

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  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
  • Vessel FlagCayman Islands

Chief Engineer
- Rotational

VIEW
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
  • Vessel FlagCayman Islands

Cook/Steward(ess)
- Full-Time

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  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length80' to 110' (25 to 33 meters)
  • Vessel FlagUnited States of America

Deck/Steward(ess)
- Full-Time

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  • LocationHollywood, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length80' to 110' (25 to 33 meters)
  • Vessel FlagUSA
  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryTB C
  • Vessel LengthMY 55 private
  • Vessel FlagForeign (Non-US)

First Officer/Chief Mate
- Full-Time

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  • LocationWest Palm Beach, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length145' to 175' (45 to 53 meters)
  • Vessel FlagUnited States of America
  • LocationWest Palm Beach, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length80' to 110' (25 to 33 meters)
  • Vessel FlagUnited States of America
  • LocationFort Pierce, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length80' to 110' (25 to 33 meters)
  • Vessel FlagMarshall Islands

2nd Steward(ess)
- Freelance

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  • LocationFort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • SalaryDepends on Experience
  • Vessel Length80' to 110' (25 to 33 meters)
  • Vessel FlagJamaica

Why Work in Florida?

Florida is one of the home bases for the global yachting industry. In fact, if you're really serious about building a career in yachting, you may spend 70% of your working tenure in Florida. A favorite of both private and charter vessels, Florida has immaculate marina infrastructure and coastline, providing a consistent demand for qualified crew throughout the year.

  • With full superyacht services, including fuel, provisioning, and technical support, Florida offers a number of top crew agencies, training schools, and major marinas nearby.
  • Charter activity in Florida usually peaks during predictable seasons, giving crew a clear window to target for applications. Besides, it hosts some of the world's most popular refit yards. This means there are always daywork options available for those who are new to the industry as well as those who are looking for opportunities to earn while job hunting.
  • With rising demands for both entry-level and experienced crew, Florida is a significant option whether you're just starting out or want to upgrade to a more senior position.

Yacht Job Salaries in Florida

A popular hub for expedition yachts and water adventures, Florida-based roles often pay 10- 15% above the national average. With the rising demand for skilled and technically sound crew members, the pay for yacht positions in Florida is competitive. However, Florida is undisputedly one of the top locations for engineering and technical maritime roles. Typical monthly salary benchmarks in Florida look like this:

  • Deckhand (entry): $2,800 – $4,000
  • Steward/Stewardess: $2,500 – $4,500
  • Head Chef: $5,000 – $9,000+
  • Chief Mate / Chief Engineer: $6,500 – $11,000
  • Captain: $10,000 – $22,000+

Permanent roles in Florida obviously offer more stability than seasonal contracts. While tips are rare in permanent jobs, you get a better work-life balance. In fact, in some cases, many permanent owners pay you for time-for-time training, e.g., they may pay for your next Coast Guard training program in return for a commitment to stay. On the other hand, seasonal roles in Florida come with high turnover but are better for those who are just starting out. The benefits are minimal compared to those of permanent roles and usually only cover food.

Frequently Asked Questions

Finding a yacht job in Florida requires a strong presence both online and offline. Start by registering yourself with recruitment agencies or, even better, platforms like Meridian. Here, you can browse all active openings in Florida, filter by role and vessel type, and apply directly. Build networks through dock walking. Walk to the docks (where permitted) and ask captains for day work. Even though yachting recruitment has moved mainly to the online sphere, showing up physically is still the best way if you are new to the industry.

The busiest yachting cities in Florida are usually coastal or waterfront locations with significant infrastructure for large vessels. To get job alerts from specific cities Florida, try searching on Meridian filtered by location. Besides, a general search on Meridian will show you exactly where demand is highest right now.

Qualifications vary by position and vessel size. For yachts over 500GT, you'll need higher-level maritime certificates. For private, non-commercial yachts, requirements are often more flexible.

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.

In Florida, yacht crew salaries are competitive, depending on the size of the vessel and the city you're working in. Entry-level positions and stewards can expect to earn between $2,500 and $3,500 per month. Meanwhile, the average salary of a yacht crew can range from $30,000 to $44,261 a year. If you want to know the specific range or salary trend for your desired role, try searching for that particular role on Meridian. Meridian sees hundreds of yacht job listings from Florida daily. The search result will give you a clear understanding of what the average annual income and the benefits you can enjoy are for the role you want to apply for.

Your best options for employment are marinas in Florida with large vessel flow. Seek out yachting companies that provide complete superyacht services, such as docking, fuel, and provisioning, as these draw the greatest number of passengers and crew members.

Even before you start looking for jobs to apply to, prepare these three documents: your yachting crew CV, Basic Training Certificate, and relevant medical certificate, an ENG1. Once you have these, sign up on Meridian for free by uploading your CV. Our system will instantly create a digital profile for you based on the details mentioned in your CV. That's it. As soon as your profile is live, Meridian will start sending you the latest job alerts matching your role and requirements. You click on those notifications, read the JD, answer a few screening questions, and apply for as many jobs as you want in minutes.

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.

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