The 5 Best Things About A Yacht Engineer's Job

So you’ve got your sights set on a superyacht job, but you want to leverage your existing engineering or technical skills.

Why not start a career as a superyacht engineer?

With an increasingly complex range of ships systems, electronics, A/V equipment, and guest expectations of the absolute best in service, an engineer’s job can be challenging and the duties varied.

An engineer may be expected to work on anything from a critical ship's system, to helping a guest with their TV. On larger superyachts, Engineering is an entire department, with multiple crew members representing different skills and specialties.

On smaller yachts, there may be only one Engineer, and shore-based services are brought on when needed for larger repair projects.

Working as an engineer can be difficult, but some great rewards come with the work.

Read on for our picks for the Best Things about Being A Superyacht Engineer.

Prestige….and Pay

The Engineer is a critical part of the crew -- responsible for keeping the boat’s systems operational, from the engine to the freezer.  

Engineers also require additional training and certifications and often come from mechanical or analytical backgrounds. Put these things together, and Engineers tend to be well respected as experts capable of responding to a crisis with a cool head.

Engineers are also recognized with higher pay, based on their specific training, qualifications, background, and onboard experience. Engineers can usually expect to have the highest starting salary, other than the Captain.

Transferable Skills

Engineers tend to bring skills to the job -- and then build more once they arrive. Regardless of a person’s background, working engineering on a yacht will absolutely present new, unique challenges.

While many Engineers work for a full career on yachts, taking on greater responsibility as they advance, others can use this experience to move into another arena - whether it’s working shore-side engineering services, or transferring to another field entirely.

While stewards and deckhands may be more limited to apply their experience within the hospitality field, Engineering skills can open many doors -- both within and outside of the yachting industry.

Apply Your Curiosity

If you’re a curious person who loves to solve puzzles, Engineering is a great pick.

You’ll never have a predictable day. Despite lots of work by the whole crew to keep everything in working order, things do break down. Water toys and tenders need maintenance, A/V systems run into errors, and regular engine work is required. Weather conditions can create unexpected situations. As the Engineer, you’ll be the one who everyone looks to for a quick, low-impact fix.

Leadership Potential

Put together a broad range of expertise, long experience onboard and off, and a calm reaction to the unexpected, and an Engineer has lots of the qualities looked for in a Captain. If you’re interested in rising up the ranks to Captain, working at least a portion of your career in Engineering is a great tactic.

After all, a Captain is expected to be the ultimate expert. With an Engineer’s knowledge of onboard systems, a Captain will bring even more confidence to the job. So it’s no surprise that many Engineers go on to hold leadership positions -- either on superyachts or in a future career on shore.

Ready to get started as an Engineer? You’ll be in good hands with our Superyacht Jobs course -- everything you need to know to find your first job on a yacht.  We’re launching soon and would love to have you in our first class! Sign Up today and make sure you don’t miss any updates.