Yachting · Senior · 8 to 14 years typical
Relief Captain / Rotation Captain Salary
Annual base compensation, national and by market, from 258 named sources. Every figure below says where it came from.
| Market | Multiplier | P25 | P50 | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | 1.40× | $110,000 | $180,000 | $280,000 | $350,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | 1.30× | $105,000 | $170,000 | $260,000 | $325,000 |
| Boston, MA | 1.25× | $100,000 | $165,000 | $250,000 | $315,000 |
| Palm Beach, FL | 1.25× | $100,000 | $165,000 | $250,000 | $315,000 |
| Miami, FL | 1.23× | $100,000 | $160,000 | $245,000 | $305,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.20× | $95,000 | $155,000 | $240,000 | $300,000 |
| Washington, DC | 1.20× | $95,000 | $155,000 | $240,000 | $300,000 |
| Seattle, WA | 1.15× | $90,000 | $150,000 | $230,000 | $290,000 |
| Chicago, IL | 1.05× | $85,000 | $135,000 | $210,000 | $265,000 |
| Dallas, TX | 1.00× | $80,000 | $130,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 |
Time to fill 10 weeks for comparable searches, estimated from rouka's benchmark set.
Growing as owners adopt structured rotation schedules; key retention lever in the industry
What does a Relief Captain / Rotation Captain do?
The Relief Captain / Rotation Captain operates aboard private and charter yachts, managing vessel operations, crew, and guest experiences for yacht owners and charter clients. Professionals in this role typically bring 8 to 14 years of relevant experience. Classified at the Senior level, this position draws from a very tight candidate market with an estimated pool of 50-120 qualified professionals, making targeted sourcing and competitive compensation critical for successful placements.
What drives Relief Captain / Rotation Captain compensation?
The median (P50) compensation for a Relief Captain / Rotation Captain is $130,000, with the 25th to 75th percentile range spanning $80,000 to $200,000. The 92% spread between P25 and P75 reflects significant pay variation driven by vessel length and type (motor vs. sailing), charter vs. private program, crew size, operating region, and required certifications (MCA, STCW, ISM). Demand for this role is trending upward with 12% year-over-year growth, which is putting upward pressure on compensation at all levels.
Relief Captain / Rotation Captain career path
Professionals who move into Relief Captain / Rotation Captain roles most commonly come from commercial maritime, cruise line operations, naval service, or hospitality management with maritime crossover. From this position, the typical trajectory leads toward larger vessel commands, fleet management, yacht management company leadership, or shoreside marine operations director roles. The average tenure in this role is approximately 2.5 years, with an annual turnover rate of 20%.
Hiring a Relief Captain / Rotation Captain?
A search playbook for this seat: compensation positioning against the band above, the sourcing map, and the interview framework.