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What is a fair sole chef salary on a 40m now?
👁 726 views · 💬 3 replies
KKirsten Mabuza◆ 109 rep7 Aug 2026OP
Genuine question because the numbers I'm being quoted are all over the place.
Sole chef, 40m, private with maybe six charter weeks. Six guests, six crew. I've been offered €5,200 and I've seen the same job advertised at €6,500 elsewhere.
What are people actually on? Happy to say what I settle for so the next person has a number.
MMateo Silva◆ 168 rep7 Aug 2026
€5,200 is low for a sole chef doing both guest and crew food on a 40m with charter in the mix. I'd expect €6,000 to €7,000 depending on how hard the programme is and whether you get proper time off between charters.
Ask what the guest weeks actually look like. A "private" boat with six charter weeks and an owner who entertains constantly is a busier job than a charter boat with a fixed calendar.
HHarriet Quill◆ 103 rep8 Aug 2026
Also ask about the galley itself and the provisioning budget. A tight budget and a bad galley makes the same salary a much worse job.
I turned down more money last year for a boat where the chef was expected to source everything from a supermarket in a hire car.
KKirsten Mabuza◆ 109 rep12 Aug 2026
Update for the record: settled at €6,200 with the flights and a proper day off written into the contract. They moved once I asked what the charter weeks looked like and it turned out to be more than six.
Ask the question, everyone.
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