Captain Lee Rosbach Addresses ‘Below Deck’ Salary Disagreements

Heavy/NBCUniversal Captain Lee Rosbach

Some former “Below Deck” stars have publicly discussed their salaries during their time on Bravo, especially compared to other Bravo stars, and OG star Captain Lee Rosbach has chimed in on the debate.

In the January 17 episode of his podcast “Salty With Captain Lee,” Rosbach said, “Do I think they make as much as the Housewives? No. But the Housewives for a long time carried Bravo. [‘Below Deck’ stars] got paid industry standard [for yachting] plus whatever else they negotiated with the network. Whatever that is.”

Along with his cohost Sam DeCavalcanti, Rosbach responded to a Business Insider report that said some “Below Deck” stars were paid $5,000 to $6,000 a month. “When you first come in, you start at the bottom,” Captain Lee explained. “Then you work your way up, and as you make yourself more and more valuable to the company, then you get paid more and you request more.”

In fact, Rosbach said that he never had issues with his Bravo pay, though his cohost pointed out that other stars probably made less than him.

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Captain Lee Rosbach Said He Wasn’t Sure About the Salary Details But Would Personally Not Accept a Position If He Didn’t Like the Salary

Rosbach shared that cast members on “Below Deck” receive a salary from Bravo for filming but also received their normal hourly rate based on their position and tips from guests. “I don’t know what they make,” he admitted on his podcast. “I am not privy to their salaries, but I know what they make in tips, and that is a nice chunk of change. The last season I did, we split up a quarter of a million dollars in tips [after six weeks].”

“Think about it. $1,500 or 2,000 for a three-day charter? That is pretty good money,” he added.

He said while he believed that all Bravo stars should be paid fairly, other people’s salaries were none of his business. “I negotiate what I want and what I think I am worth. We either come to an agreement or we don’t and I leave,” he concluded.

Captain Lee Rosbach Will Be Returning to TV as a Host of a True Crime Series on Oxygen

Discussion about “Below Deck” stars’ pay has been taking place on and off for a couple of years, sparked by former bosun Eddie Lucas’ claims in May 2022. At that time, Lucas said the cast members weren’t paid as much as Housewives stars, despite “Below Deck” stars working a job while being filmed. Since then, several other cast members have shared their own takes on the crew members’ pay, with some expressing support for his stance while others disagreed, Us Weekly reported.

Although Rosbach exited “Below Deck” after season 10 and season 11 will be the first with a new captain at the helm, the longtime captain will be back on TV in a new capacity.

According to Deadline, Rosbach will be hosting a new show on Oxygen titled “Deadly Waters.” The publication reported that the true-crime show is currently in production and will focus on murders that take place on the ocean or in other open waters.

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