Basic Salary

[tom_fry24]

I will be studying marine design next year and I'm wondering what the basic starting salary is for luxury yacht design. Does any one have any ideas? thanks

[terhohalme]

What makes you think that starting salarys should differ somehow either you plan luxury yachts or production boats or clean the office?

[tom_fry24]

so you are saying that accountants get paid the same as street cleaners?

[jehardiman]

Starting out accounts get less.....poor union.

[fiberglass jack]

shite no money and a long hard road to the top,i know i make more money doing repairs on boats then the guys designing them

[waikikin]

FGJack, the price we pay for that is as you say being itchy all the time, lucky we love it eh. regards from Jeff.

[UK Nav Arc]

The truth is - it all depends on a range of factors. Where are you studying? By marine design, do you mean styling, or engineering/Naval architecture? This makes a difference. Are you starting out on your own (very bad idea, IMHO), or do you want to work for an established designer, or a yacht builder as part of an in-house design team? Will you have specific CAD skills, such as Rhino, AutoCAD etc., or other skills, such as model making or high quality artistic drawing skills? Please post a bit more information and I'm sure you'll get a more accurate answer (as far as is possible!).

[tom_fry24]

I will be studing at the University of Cape Town, doing engineering/naval architecture. I'm planning on heading out to work for an established company first with model making skills. Where does that put me? and where is the highest paying places to work? Thanks.

[Richard Hillsid]

Do you have model making skills?

[UK Nav Arc]

A good degree will probably make a difference, especially as modern larger vessels are closer to ships than yachts, especially large motor superyachts. As a Naval Architect, you'd probably start at around £20K in the UK, but probably less if you're building models - at the last place I worked where models were built in-house, the experienced craftsmen making the models were probably around 10% down on the engineers/nav arcs. There is a lot of competition though - you will have to be good to get a good salary! Top salary for an engineer/nav arc in the Uk is probably around £50k after quite a few years and CEng.

Short term contracts are better paid, but less secure, maybe around £30/hr tops for a new graduate. You may find, however, that you'll have to spend a couple of years at a relatively poor salary while you "learn the job", as a degree only really gives you the basic tools!

There is a famous saying that the best way to make a small fortune in small craft is to start with a large fortune - only the very best designers, probably around 5% of all the designers out there, are on the big money, and even then it isn't that big compared to accountants, solicitors etc.

Hope this helps!