Here's How Much Money The Cast Of Below Deck Makes
Working aboard the luxury yachts of Below Deck isn't like any other charter. As series stalwart and chief stew Kate Chastain revealed to Entertainment Tonight, the trips featured on the hit Bravo show typically last around two or three days, versus the usual weeklong voyages. Even so, Chastain was quick to note the crew puts in the equivalent of a week's work to ensure the experience is top-notch for their clients.
"We're working not just eight-hour shifts, it's like, we're working pretty much around the clock," she admitted. If you're wondering how much the Below Deck crew actually make in tips, well, it's no small sum, and usually lands somewhere in the several thousand dollar range. "On a yacht of that size, [a good tip] would be $5,000 a person, for seven days of work," Chastain said. And their working wages aren't bad either.
Below Deck-like charter crews make decent money
According to Crewfinders, a chief stew like Kate Chastain stands to earn between $62,000 and $75,000 per charter season on the kind of yacht featured on Below Deck, most of which are around the 150-foot range (via Worldwide Boat). After that, second and third stews are still pulling in about $50,000 per season, chefs make anywhere between $52,000 and $72,000, a bosun will earn up to $52,000, deckhands will pull in between $40,000 to $52,000, and last but not least, a captain starts at $120,000. In fact, it's estimated that Captain Lee could make up to $210,000 per year, depending on the size of the boat he's manning.
Luxury Yacht Group has slightly different and potentially more impressive figures (depending on the position and how many months per year the crew works), advising an experienced captain can make up to $25,000 a month on similar sized boats, a chief stew up to $10,000 per month, a bosun up to $6,000 per month, deckhands up to $5,000 per month, stews up to $6,500 per month, and a chef up to $11,000 per month.
There are other major perks to being a Below Deck yachtie
Aside from the massive tips and generous wages, there are also some great perks to sailing the high seas as a yachtie. According to yacht crew recruitment company AYC (via Starcasm), crews earn a tax-free income, enjoy generous vacation allowances, and, naturally, the job involves living and working aboard a luxury yacht with zero monthly bills to worry about — it's a pretty sweet deal all round.
As for how much the cast makes for appearing on the show itself, producer Mark Cronin revealed during an AMA on Reddit that they only get a "small sum" for taking part. He also revealed that Below Deck is slightly more realistic than other so-called reality shows, saying, "The contract between the cast and me is: 'Please make us a great show that people will love — and please be fair in portraying who we are and what we do.'"
Below Deck crew members can easily build up their savings
It really is a dream job, if Below Deck Med star Colin Macy O'Toole is to be believed. The reality star told The Cheat Sheet if he could do it all over again, he'd start working in the industry even earlier. "I'd probably start right out of college at age 22 and then put in about five years of work on yachts," he said.
Macy-O'Toole advised that, if he'd done so, the savings would've been exponential, explaining, "Depending on where you live, you could even save enough money to buy a house." This chimes with what a chief stew previously revealed in one of Refinery 29's Money Diaries, disclosing that, because she didn't have to pay taxes, saving up to $4,500 monthly was a piece of cake (from her annual salary of $72,000).
The Below Deck crew only has to work a few months a year if they choose
The work is hard but, as Below Deck's own Ryhlee Gerber told The Cheat Sheet, if you're smart, you can reap the rewards. "Of course I'm very frugal and live a pretty minimalist lifestyle. But I was able to stretch the two months I worked on My Seanna on Below Deck, plus about 60 days working in Alaska," she advised, referring to another job working as a fishing boat captain in Alaska. That's four months of work for a year of living — not too shabby.
Gerber also hinted at certain perks being provided for the reality show crew, joking, "If I wanted $60 face cream, it would be paid for." Both she and Macy-O'Toole again stressed the travel side of the job, as it gives them the opportunity to see the world, while bosun João Franco pointed out yet another perk. "The more luxurious boats have a gourmet chef that will cook all crew food every single day! The fridges and pantries are stocked with an endless supply of all you can think of," he said.
All in all, it seems that being a yachtie has its fair share of benefits.