Employer Registration
- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- Salary$4,000 +
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagUnited States of America
Yacht Jobs in San Diego
Welcome to the ultimate adventure of yachting in San Diego when you get to witness thrill and luxury as the vessel floats in an open sea. Industry's one of the most sought-after hiring hubs, San Diego offers roles for seasonal charter positions to permanent rotational contracts across private and commercial yachts.
This one is also a promising place for starters to get hired by captains and HoDs, particularly during the peak seasons. And if you're one of the beginners, signing up on Meridian can make it simpler for you to find your perfect role. Just upload your CV, receive customized job alerts, and apply to roles that match your requirements. Thousands of maritime professionals worldwide trust Meridian to manage their job search.
Bosun
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- SalaryDepends on Experience
- Vessel Length145' to 175' (45 to 53 meters)
- Vessel FlagForeign (Non-US)
Mate
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- Salary4500
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagForeign (Non-US)
Chief Steward(ess)
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- SalaryDepends on Experience
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagUnited States of America
Chef
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- SalaryDepends on Experience
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagUnited States of America
Deck/Steward(ess)
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- SalaryDepends on Experience
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagUnited States of America
Chief Steward(ess)
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Rotational
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- SalaryDepends on Experience
- Vessel Length145' to 175' (45 to 53 meters)
- Vessel FlagCayman Islands
Deckhand
Job Filled
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- Salary$4,000
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagUnited States of America
Sole Steward(ess)
/ Mate
T
Job Filled
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- Salary$5,000-$7,000
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagUnited States of America
Mate
/ Sole Steward(ess)
T
Job Filled
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- LocationSan Diego, CA, USA
- Salary$7,000
- Vessel Length111' to 144' (34 to 44 meters)
- Vessel FlagUnited States of America
Why Work in San Diego?
If you are thinking about a career move in yachting, San Diego offers advantages that even the Mediterranean or the USA cannot match.
- While a yachting career is a high-paying job, working in San Diego means you take home a higher average monthly pay than you do elsewhere due to the additional amenities you avail of, like free accommodation, food, and insurance. This gives you a higher saving job than working in European or Mediterranean water, depending on the laws of your home country.
- Working on a yacht in the region during the peak seasons allows you to engage with a high-energy, high-tip, and high-networking circle.
- Everything in San Diego is built for luxury. Besides being on the yacht, you can enjoy better shore-side facilities, high-end malls, and luxury resorts during your off time.
- San Diego is one of the world's best-connected travel hubs. For crew on rotational contracts (e.g., 2 months on, 2 months off), flying home from the airport is faster and easier than almost anywhere else in the world.
Yacht Job Salaries in San Diego
Understanding yacht job salaries in San Diego requires looking at both base pay and the full package. The industry standard is that accommodation, food, and travel are covered by the employer, which significantly increases the effective value of any salary. Current monthly base salary ranges in the San Diego market are broadly as follows:
- Deck and Interior Entry Level: €2,500 – €3,500
- Bosun / Chief Stew / Senior Cook: €4,000 – €6,500
- Engineers (mid to senior): €5,000 – €12,000
- Charter tip pool: 10–20% of charter fee, split per crew agreement
In San Diego's active charter market, the tip income from a single busy season can match or exceed several months’ salary. For crew seeking consistent year-round income, permanent roles on private yachts based in or near San Diego offer greater financial predictability, often supplemented by longevity bonuses for multi-year service. The growing availability of rotational contracts in San Diego also provides senior crew with a structured income model that suits a longer-term career in the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get your ENG1 medical certificate and finish your STCW Basic Safety Training first. These are the bare minimum that all employers in San Diego will look for. Once you have those, register on Meridian and select San Diego as your preferred location. You'll start receiving real-time job alerts from the platform so you can be among the first to notice new openings. Visiting local marine events and networking at marinas, where recruiting often happens in person, are additional ways to expand your search.
Before any Yatching company in San Diego will check your application, you must have at the very least STCW Basic Safety Training and a current ENG1 medical certificate. The industry as a whole needs these two documents. They may ask you to present additional qualifications, depending on the role. For example, engineers need applicable MCA or flag-state tickets, deckhands usually are required to have a Powerboat Level 2 license, and chefs may need to showcase their culinary skills. Captains and Chief Mates are examples of senior officers who need to possess the proper STCW officer-of-the-watch or master certificates.
Yes, a significant portion of the San Diego work sector consists of seasonal yacht jobs. Similar to the majority of yachting hubs, San Diego has different peak times when crew demand spikes. Charter yachts that operate out of San Diego usually have contracts that last five to six months, and during their peak months, they need entire teams. Due to visitor tips, these positions have better earning potential. For younger crew members who want to increase their sea time, seasonal jobs are a common place to start. Over the course of the following seasons, many of them move into permanent year-round responsibilities.
The size of the vessel, your department, and your role all affect how much you get paid for yacht jobs in San Diego. However, the average monthly salary for entry-level deckhands and junior stewards or stewardesses is between €2,500 and €3,500. Chief stewardesses and bosuns make between €3,500 and €5,500 per month, while seasoned engineers with senior tickets might make between €6,000 and €12,000 or more. Usually, chefs aboard upscale private or charter boats make between €4,000 and €9,000. Tips equal to 10-20% of the charter charge on charter ships can significantly raise overall earnings above base pay.
The easiest way to apply for yacht jobs in San Diego is to apply through Meridian's platform. Sign up for free, upload your CV in PDF format, and our system will automatically create a digital profile for you. Once your profile is ready, you will start to receive personalized job alerts from your preferred city that match your department and experience level. When you find a position you like, apply easily through Meridian's One-Click Apply feature to submit your application.
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.
1Join for Free
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