Last week I stumbled across the show on Bravo that I’d not seen before. It was about crew members working on a chartered mega-yacht, detailed their trials and tribulations. Outside of the drama, it’s obvious that they work very hard, which made me wonder how much Bravo pay the Below Deck cast for each episode.
How much does Bravo pay the Below Deck cast? The Below Deck cast make between $1,000 and $2,000 in tips per charter episode. Bravo only pay the cast a small appearance fee, with the remainder of their salary and wages being paid by the super-yacht charter company.
So, there you have it. Bravo don’t actually pay the cast and crew much money at all. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some large financial incentives on offer. In fact, some reports state that a crew member such as Captain Lee could be making almost $20,000 dollars a month!
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How much does Below Deck cast make?
If you are a regular watcher of the Bravo TV show, you will know how much the cast and crew have to put up with. The work really hard to earn their tips, and not always plain sailing. But there is the comfort of the money they can earn from Bravo and public appearances.
I wanted to look a little deeper at the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in the show, and what the individual cast members might earn for each episode. Continue scrolling to see what I found out when researching how much do the Below Deck crew make.
How much do deckhands make on Below Deck?
According to the Bustle website, deckhands on Below Deck can make anywhere between $2,500 to $5,000 a month depending on the experience. For example, engineers would be on the higher end of the pay scale. These monthly salaries are based on information found on job websites that are advertising for luxury yacht charter deckhands.
Other sources claim that deckhands on Below Deck can make between $40,000 to $55,000 a year which does equate reasonably well to the monthly salary estimated on the Bustle website.
How much does below deck cast make per episode? It depends on their salary and the tips received.
How hard to they have to work to earn that kind of money? Well, typically tasks will include launching and docking of the yachts, being at the beck and call of guests, making small repairs, cleaning up, helping with guest bags, and any menial task requested by the captain.
In terms of qualifications, deckhands will ideally be able to scuba dive, have a maritime training certificate, safety training, and possibly some previous experience if employed on the larger super yachts.
It looks like a great job doesn’t it? You get to spend lots of time outdoors, have a flexible schedule, and the chance to get some huge tips if you have happy guests on board.
How much do the captains make on Below Deck?
The captains on Below Deck are obviously the highest earners. According to employment websites, a captain on Below Deck can make between $120,000 and $210,000 a year. How much they get paid depends on how big the yacht is; larger yachts mean larger pay packets.
If we take a couple of the Below Deck captain in isolation, media reports have estimated their annual earnings as:
- Captain Lee could make up to $210,000 a year on Below Deck.
- Captain Mark could make up to $200,000 a year on Below Deck.
- Captain Sandy could make up to $180,000 a year on Below Deck.
Generally speaking, the larger the yacht, the less hands-on the captain will be, as there will be other crew members taking on more responsibility.
To become a super-yacht captain and make that sort of money you will need a large amount of training and experience, in-depth maritime knowledge, understand accounts, IT, admin, and be able to deal with authorities when needed.
And obviously, they won’t give this job to anybody who doesn’t have previous experience!
How much does a chef make on Below Deck?
A chef on Below Deck can make $70,000 to $100,000 a year. Chef jobs on super-yachts are very demanding, and the ones on Below Deck will have luxury restaurant experience, will have qualified from a high-end culinary school, and possibly even Michelin star credentials.
If you don’t have that type of experience, you might be able to get a chef’s job on a smaller yacht with just a couple of years under your belt.
How much does a bosun make on Below Deck?
A bosun on Below Deck can make between $48,000 and $60,000 a year. They have a lot of responsibility as they are the officer in charge of all the yacht equipment and crew. Having seen a few episodes of Below Deck, they certainly earn their money!
Bravo don’t actually pay the cast of Below Deck that much money, with very small appearance fees.
To become a bosun you would need to have plenty of experience as a deckhand first and be able to take on extra responsibilities such as maintenance, organisation, operations, and management of supplies.
How much does a chief stew make on Below Deck?
A chief stewardess on Below Deck can make between $62,000 and $90,000 a year depending on the size of the yacht and their own experience. Kate Chastain, one of the more famous chief stews on Below Deck is said to earn about $75,000 a year.
Below Deck chief stewardesses are responsible for maintaining the super-yacht’s interior and is responsible for providing the very best standards of hospitality. It is their role to manage the stewardesses working under them to deliver on these tasks.
How much does a stewardess make on Below Deck?
Stewardesses on Below Deck work under the chief stew and can make between $50,000 and $70,000 a year depending on their experience and the size of the super-yacht. Duties include serving food and drink, setting tables, preparing cabins, and general housekeeping.
To become a stewardess on Below Deck you will need some silver service experience or have cocktail making skills. The most important aspect to this role is having high standards and a positive attitude to getting work done.
So that’s an overview of how much the Below Deck crew make, but what about the guests. Do they pay to be on Below Deck, or do they actually get paid by Bravo too?
Let’s find out…
How much do guests pay to be on Below Deck?
Guests on Below Deck don’t pay to be on the Bravo TV show. However, they can take advantage of large discounts in return for letting Bravo film their on-board experiences.
With Below Deck charter fees ranging between $150,000 and $170,000 a week. You can read more about how much it costs to charter a Below Deck super-yacht elsewhere on Pontoonopedia.
The guests are still expected to tip heavily, despite being filmed. Estimates on guest tipping have been put at 15% to 20% of their total charter fee… which is still a substantial amount despite the appearance discounts!
Do the Below Deck guests get paid?
Do the guests on below deck get paid? No, the Below Deck guests don’t get paid by Bravo. However, they will be given a large discount on the charter fee, said to be around 50% off the cost, plus free air fares thrown in.
Bravo cannot choose which guests will appear. They have to work with whichever guests have booked a charter at the time of filming – providing the guests agree to be part of the Bravo TV show.
How much do the Below Deck crew make in tips?
This is where things get really interesting (and lucrative). When I asked “how much does Bravo pay the Below Deck cast, I wasn’t expecting to find out that it’s virtually nothing.
What I did manage to find out though, was how much in tips they can make on-top of their annual crew salaries – it’s truly astounding!
For example, Bravo say that on one charter alone, the crew’s tips can be as much as $30,000 dollars. Those tips are split evenly between all cast and crew members on the yacht.
In just one season alone, the Below Deck crew are said to have made $168,000 in tip money. That could mean that one crew member alone could be bringing home $14,000 to $28,000 in tip money each season.
Tips totally 20% of the total charter fee are not uncommon.
What Other Factors Determine How Much “Below Deck” Cast Members Are Paid?
Though “Below Deck” crew members’ salaries largely depend on their role on the ship and tips from guests, there are other factors that can impact how much each cast member brings home.
Experience
“Below Deck” cast members with more experience in the yachting industry can command higher salaries than their co-stars. If they have previous work in television, film, or even other reality shows, this can increase their value even more.
Production companies like working with people with previous film experience because they bring a level of professionalism and familiarity with the production process.
Performance
How well cast members perform (both in terms of their on-screen presence and their ability to handle their roles on the yacht) can impact their salaries.
Cast members who create compelling storylines, or generate audience interest may be rewarded with higher pay. The more entertaining a show’s performers are, the more viewer engagement and higher ratings the show will receive.
Strong performers are valuable assets to any reality show, increasing their likelihood of being paid more.
Popularity
Cast members who become popular characters on the show, or develop a large social media following often leverage their popularity to get paid more.
Again, producers may be willing to pay more for cast members that contribute to the show’s success and help attract viewers.
Having a strong fan base also allows them the ability to earn additional income through appearances, endorsements, or other business opportunities outside of the show.
Negotiation Skills
As with any job, good negotiating skills can mean a higher paycheck. “Below Deck” cast members who know how to negotiate their contracts may be able to secure a higher salary per episode.
Residual Earnings
It’s common for actors or actresses to earn residual income per every episode made that airs on television. Residuals, or royalties, contribute to a television star’s overall salary.
However, according to the cast members themselves, “Below Deck” does not pay their reality TV stars royalties.
How do the Below Deck salaries compare to other reality TV shows?
I love reality TV, especially the ones about people working on the seas.
Over the last few months I’ve done extensive research into what the cast and crew members of these shows can earn.
Here’s what I found:
- Wicked Tuna cast members can earn up to $100,000 per show (read more).
- Deckhands on tuna fishing boats can earn up to $53,000 a year (read more).
- Deadliest Catch greenhorns can make up to $6,000 per trip (read more).
- Deadliest Catch captains can make up to $200,000 a year (read more).
- Deckhands on Deadliest Catch can make up to $15,000 a month (read more).
The last word…
Working on Below Deck seems like a dream job. You get to go to stunning locations and can make large amounts of money with just the tips alone.
How much the Below Deck cast make per episode will vary hugely depending on what role they have on the super-yacht. Bravo will pay very small appearance fees, so the bulk of their earnings per episode will be their annual salary and then the divided tip amount.
