All roles/Specialist crew/Hairdresser / Hairstylist
Specialist crew
Hairdresser / Hairstylist
You cut, colour and style hair for the owner, guests and often crew, so everyone looks right for dinners, events and shore visits without leaving the yacht.
- Department
- Specialist crew
- Reports to
- Spa Manager or Chief Steward / Chief Stewardess
- Yacht size
- 70m to 150m+
- Contract
- Seasonal, permanent or rotation
- Starting pay
- €3,500 per month
What the job is
A yacht hairdresser runs a small salon at sea. On larger yachts that means a dedicated salon or a styling station in the spa, with backwash, good lighting and a locked product store. You do blow dries before dinner, colour touch ups, cuts, updos for parties and children's trims. On private yachts you may look after one principal and their family for months, learning exactly how they like their hair.
Most hairdressers on yachts also work in the interior or spa. When there are no bookings you might help with turndown, guest laundry, service or spa reception. Some positions are advertised as Steward / Hairdresser from the start. Expect to be flexible: a principal may want a blow dry at 07:00 before a helicopter transfer, then a full styling session for a 21:00 dinner ashore in Saint Tropez.
Discretion matters as much as skill. You spend close, quiet time with very private people and hear a lot. You order your own stock before the season, often brands the guests already use, and keep products secure and in date. You also keep the salon clean and dry, with equipment stowed for sea passages, because hot tools and glass bottles do not mix with a rolling yacht.
What makes a good one
- Precision cutting and blow drying
- Colour correction and toning
- Bridal and event updos
- Discretion with private clients
- Flexibility across interior duties
A day in the life
- 07:00Crew breakfast, then check the booking sheet the Spa Manager posted last night. Six appointments, plus two children's trims pencilled in.
- 07:45Open the salon, switch on dryers and tongs, check towels and gowns. Restock the charter guest's preferred shampoo from the locked store.
- 08:30Blow dry for the lead guest before a tender trip to Positano. Quick, sleek finish that will hold up in sea air.
- 10:00Help the interior team with cabin turnarounds and guest laundry while guests are ashore.
- 13:00Crew lunch. Fit in a trim for a deckhand who has been asking for a week.
- 15:00Root colour touch up for a guest, followed by a cut. Log the colour formula on her guest profile for future trips.
- 17:30Back to back styling for the evening: two updos and a blow dry for a birthday dinner on the aft deck.
- 19:30Clean and sanitise tools, wash towels, wipe down the salon and secure bottles before the yacht repositions overnight.
- 20:30Help with dinner service or turndown if the Chief Stewardess needs a hand, then off watch.
Pay by country
Monthly crew salary, tax free for most nationalities on a non resident basis, on yachts of 70m to 150m. Combined roles such as Steward / Hairdresser sit at the lower end. Charter tips are shared with the crew and can add €1,500 – 4,000 a month in a busy season.
- France and Monaco
- €3,500 – 5,000
- Spain
- €3,500 – 5,000
- Italy
- €3,500 – 5,000
- United Kingdom
- £3,000 – 4,300
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,800 – 5,500
- Caribbean
- US$3,800 – 5,500
- UAE
- AED 14,000 – 20,000
- Australia
- A$5,800 – 8,300
- New Zealand
- NZ$6,400 – 9,100
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- PDSD
- Level 3 hairdressing qualification (NVQ, VRQ or equivalent)
- Salon experience, usually 3+ years
Recommended
- PYA GUEST interior courses
- Barbering qualification
- Manufacturer colour education
- Hair extensions certificate
- Beauty or nail qualification
- Food Safety Level 2
Visas
- Schengen visa (non EU crew)
- US C1/D visa
- US B1/B2 visa
- Australian MCV for Australian cruising
Where it leads
- Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess
- Steward / Stewardess
- Steward / Hairdresser
- Hairdresser / Hairstylist
- Spa Manager
Hairdresser / Hairstylist jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience to get hired as a hairdresser?
Not always, but you need strong salon experience and your STCW and ENG1 in hand. Many people start as a Steward / Hairdresser on a mid size yacht, which gives you interior experience and makes you far easier to place on larger yachts.
Will I only be doing hair?
Rarely. Unless the yacht is very large with a busy spa, expect to help the interior or spa team with laundry, housekeeping, service or treatments when you have no bookings.
Who pays for products and tools?
The yacht usually buys products, often brands the owner or guests already use, and you manage the stock. Most hairdressers bring their own scissors and favourite tools, so check your contract and pack well.