Offshore Job Locations 

There are many offshore job openings, in particular in Canada and Nigeria, as well as Dubai UAE (United Arab Emerites). In Canada, several new offshore platforms are being put into place off the coast of Nova Scotia, and they are now hiring for all positions, no offshore experience required. Also in Canada, the Alberta tar sands projects generate a huge, constant hiring demand; if you are willing to get a work visa, you can get a job just by driving out there). The Nigeria offshore projects are always hiring, and the pay is extremely high, among the highest in the world.

Some of the other locations currently hiring include Texas (Houston being the main hiring center), Louisiana, the North sea United Kingdom, Louisiana (offshore and onshore), the Gulf of Mexico (offshore), Norway, Alaska (both offshore and on the North Slope), Florida, Kuwait, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (always hiring), and the favorite of many, Australia (offshore). Australia is a particularly great work location of many, as the pay is among the highest in the world, yet the cost of living is relatively low in Australia. Guys that get on Australia rigs typically don’t come home for a very, very long time.

Current Offshore Rig Locations

There are currently over 900 offshore oil platforms operating in the worlds seas. The companies that operate these offshore rigs are headquartered worldwide, including the United States, China, Croatia, Norway, Russia, India, Japan, Scotland, Denmark, Australia, Venezuela, Poland, Brazil, Africa, Sweden, and Malaysia.

• Eastern Europe - 29
• The Far East -26
• Gulf of Mexico - 336
• Latin America 125
• The Mediterranean - 10
• The Middle East - 76
• The North Sea - 80
• West Africa - 59
• Australia / Asia - 76
• Southern Asia - 28
• East Coast Canada - 5

Getting Hired for Entry Level Offshore Jobs

If working on one of these rigs appeals to your sense of adventure, you can learn where to submit your resume for hundreds of entry level offshore jobs here.

If you are in the U.S., the fastest method of getting hired is usually applying in person at the drilling contractors in Houston, TX and Lafayette, LO. In other countries where offshore operations are taking place, the same holds true - find the names of the offshore contractors, and apply in person. There are a number of advantages doing it this way, but the biggest is simply that there are often unadvertised openings that need filled yesterday, and if you go in person, you stand a shot at getting hired on the spot.

If applying in person isn't an option, then the next step is simply applying to drilling contractors individually, either online or by snail mail. Most of the mid to large companies have online applications. You can do this one at a time, or utilize the services of a company such as Rigworker, which will forward your resume to around 1200 energy and drilling companies, after ensuring that your resume meets the format that these companies typically prefer.