Career guide

How to get an offshore job with no experience

You can get an offshore job with no experience through the entry roles: roustabout on a rig or platform, deck or engine rating and steward on a vessel, trainee or apprentice on a wind farm. None asks for offshore experience. Every one asks for the sector's safety training and a medical first, and the sector decides which. Here is the route in order, with the body that sets each rule and the entry-level jobs open now.

Every rule on this page names the body that sets it, and every job figure is counted from live listings. Checked against the sources on 26 October 2026.

At a glance

Oil and gas, UK: BOSIET, then MIST, and an OEUK offshore medical
Offshore wind: GWO Basic Safety Training with Sea Survival, and a WINDA ID
Ships, UK: STCW basic training and an ENG1 medical
Ships and ports, US: A Merchant Mariner Credential, which needs a TWIC and a drug test
Minimum age: Over 18 for UK roustabouts; 16 for UK STCW basic training
Experience: None for roustabout, the BLS says

How to get an offshore job with no experience, step by step

Pick the sector Oil and gas installations, offshore wind farms and vessels each name their own training. OPITO sets it for oil and gas, the Global Wind Organisation for wind, and the IMO's STCW Convention, applied by each flag state, for ships. Training for one sector does not stand in for another.
Pass the medical For UK installations, an offshore medical from a doctor registered with Offshore Energies UK, valid two years as standard. For UK ships, the ENG1 from an MCA approved doctor, valid two years at most, one year under 18. OPITO lets you start BOSIET on the centre's screening form, but you need a current offshore medical before you work offshore.
Take the basic safety training BOSIET for oil and gas: 21 guided learning hours, or 20 hours 40 minutes with a compressed air breathing system, for people new to the industry. GWO Basic Safety Training for wind: first aid, manual handling, fire awareness, working at height, and sea survival for offshore. STCW basic training for ships: four elements from an approved provider. BOSIET guide GWO Basic Safety Training guide STCW basic safety training guide
Add what the site and the flight ask On UK oil and gas installations, OPITO expects MIST, its safety course for new starts, to follow BOSIET. For helicopter travel in the UK you also need a shoulder breadth measurement. For GWO courses, register in WINDA first and give your WINDA ID to the provider. HUET guide
In the US, get the TWIC and the credential A TWIC is required for access to secure areas of regulated maritime facilities and vessels, and most Coast Guard licensed mariners need one. Crew start with an entry rating on a Merchant Mariner Credential: Ordinary Seafarer, Wiper or Steward's Department, issued without a professional exam, after a drug test and a Coast Guard medical. TWIC card guide
Apply for an entry role The National Careers Service gives two ways into roustabout work: an apprenticeship or applying directly. Drilling crews start as labourers, roustabouts or derrickhands and learn on the job. Ship operators set their own entry requirements for ratings.
Keep every ticket in date BOSIET has to be followed by FOET within four years, GWO modules last 24 months, and the STCW survival and fire courses need updating every five years. Each has its own date, set out in the table below.

Entry roles that take new starters

Where people with no offshore experience start. A role links to its live listings while any are open.

Roustabout jobs 5 live General labour on a rig or platform, and the usual start on a drilling crew. The BLS says roustabout positions typically need no experience and lead to derrick operator and driller. UK profiles ask for BOSIET, an offshore medical and an age over 18.
Ordinary Seaman jobs 73 live The entry deck rating. In the US it is the Ordinary Seafarer endorsement, issued without a professional exam; in the UK, a deck rating apprenticeship or a direct application after STCW basic training and a seafarer medical.
Deckhand jobs 1 live Deck work on tugs, supply and crew boats: mooring, lines, cargo and upkeep. On US vessels, deck crew start from the Ordinary Seafarer entry rating.
Steward jobs 66 live Galley, cabins and catering on a vessel or installation. In the US the Steward's Department (F.H.) rating is the one that allows work as a food handler.
Messman jobs 21 live The entry catering role in the mess and galley, working under the cook and the steward.
Wiper jobs 13 live The entry engine room rating: cleaning, painting and helping the engineers. In the US, Wiper is an entry rating issued without a professional exam.
Deck Cadet jobs 11 live A trainee officer, combining college and sea time towards a first officer certificate.
Engine Cadet jobs 22 live The engineering officer trainee, the same route in the engine room.
Scaffolder jobs 7 live Trainee scaffolders start through an apprenticeship, as a labourer or trainee, or on a college course, and need a CISRS card or equivalent, as the UK profile states. Offshore, the sector's safety training applies on top.
Wind Turbine Technician jobs 47 live The way in is an apprenticeship, a college course or a direct application, often as a trainee. The BLS says most windtechs need a postsecondary nondegree award and learn on the job; offshore work adds sea survival.

What each sector asks of a new starter

The certificate follows the place you work, not the job title. A steward on a platform needs BOSIET; a steward on a supply vessel needs STCW basic training. The table sets out what the bodies require before a first trip.

Safety training and medical for new starters, as each body states them
Where you work	Safety training	Medical	Also needed
Oil and gas, UK	BOSIET, then MIST	OEUK offshore medical, two years as standard	Shoulder breadth measurement for helicopters
Oil and gas, Norway	GSK basic safety training with HUET; UK, Dutch and Danish training accepted	An OEUK medical is generally accepted	Refresher every four years
Offshore wind	GWO Basic Safety Training, with Sea Survival offshore	Not set by GWO; the employer decides	A WINDA ID before the course
Ships, UK	STCW basic training, four elements	ENG1, two years at most	At least 16 years old
Ships and ports, US	Entry rating on a Merchant Mariner Credential	Coast Guard medical, vision and hearing exam	TWIC and a drug test

STCW basic training covers personal survival techniques, fire prevention and fire fighting, elementary first aid, and personal safety and social responsibilities. In the UK it is required of crew with safety or pollution-prevention duties; everyone else working on a seagoing ship receives familiarisation training before duties. The ENG1 does not apply on offshore installations on station, where the OEUK medical does.

The weight and size rules for UK flights

From 1 November 2026, Offshore Energies UK's safe weight limit is fully in force: anyone over 124 kg is not fit for work offshore in the UK, and anyone over 124 kg clothed on the outbound flight is not allowed to travel, whatever their medical certificate says. Between 115 and 124 kg the doctor issues a certificate of three or six months, which can be extended up to two years for a worker who shows consistent control of their weight.

Helicopter seats are also allocated by shoulder width. OPITO classes anyone over 55.9 cm (22 inches) as extra broad, and at least 30 percent of seats on the helicopter types are suitable for them. The measurement takes one guided hour and lasts four years.

OEUK medical certificate by weight, from the Safe Weight Limit explanatory note, April 2026
Weight	Medical certificate
Under 115 kg	Standard, valid two years; over 110 kg, a reminder of the limit
115 to 120 kg	Reduced, valid six months
120.1 to 124 kg	Reduced, valid three months
Over 124 kg	Not fit for work offshore in the UK

How long each certificate lasts

A new starter usually holds four or five of these at once, each on its own clock.

Validity as each issuing body states it
Certificate	Set by	Valid for	Renewed by
BOSIET	OPITO	Four years	FOET, 8 hours, valid four years
MIST	OPITO	Four years	MIST Further
Shoulder breadth measurement	OPITO	Four years	A new measurement
Offshore medical	OEUK	Two years as standard	A new examination
GSK, Norway	Offshore Norge	Four years	A refresher; a new GSK after eight years
GWO Basic Safety Training	GWO	24 months per module	The refresher modules
STCW survival and fire fighting	IMO, applied by the flag state	Five years	Refresher training
ENG1	MCA	Two years at most, one under 18	A new examination
TWIC	TSA	Five years	Renewal online or in person

Renew early and nothing is lost: if a BOSIET or FOET certificate expires within three months of enrolment, OPITO dates the new one from the old expiry date.

How hiring works for new starters

Most entry roles are filled by direct application or apprenticeship. The National Careers Service lists both for roustabouts, with the Engineering Operative Level 2 and Maintenance and Operations Engineering Level 3 apprenticeships as examples, and says direct applicants with oil, gas, engineering or construction experience have the stronger case. For ratings it names the Seafarer (Deck Rating) Level 2 apprenticeship and says employers set their own entry requirements.

Some training can wait for the job. The BLS says employers may require safety certification before or after hiring, and wind employers tell technicians which training they need. In the UK, once a seafarer is employed or has an offer, the MCA says the employer should pay for the ENG1.

Expect rotation work. The UK roustabout profile describes 10 to 12 hour days over two weeks followed by two weeks off.

Entry-level jobs open now

145 entry-level jobs open right now, from the live listings. The newest:

Ordinary Seaman / Deck Cadet Spain Offshore Yesterday Offshore Maritime Yesterday View role Ordinary Seaman United Kingdom Offshore · 4x4 rotation Today Offshore · 4x4 rotation Maritime Today View role Wiper Offshore 3d ago Offshore Maritime 3d ago View role Ordinary Seaman Poland Offshore · 2/2 weeks rotation 28d ago Offshore · 2/2 weeks rotation Maritime 28d ago View role Ordinary Seaman ELBE HIGHWAY · United Kingdom Offshore · 6 WEEKS (PERMANENT ROTATION POSSIBLE) rotation 14 Sep Offshore · 6 WEEKS (PERMANENT ROTATION POSSIBLE) rotation Maritime 14 Sep View role

Entry-level offshore and marine jobs 145 Entry-level jobs in Poland 22 Entry-level jobs in the United Kingdom 14 Entry-level jobs in Italy 6 Entry-level jobs in the Netherlands 6 Entry-level jobs in the United States 4 Entry-level jobs in Denmark 3 Entry-level jobs in Egypt 3 Entry-level jobs in Finland 3

What these entry-level jobs pay

95 of the 145 live listings state their pay. Figures are as stated, in the currency stated.

USD per month

$850

Median

Half pay between: $550 and $2,113
Listings: 34

EUR per month

€2,000

Median

Half pay between: €1,249 and €2,519
Listings: 29

EUR per day

€53

Median

Half pay between: €40 and €100
Listings: 19

Questions people ask

How do I get offshore with no experience?

Apply for an entry role such as roustabout, deck rating, steward or trainee technician, with the sector's safety training and medical in place: BOSIET and an offshore medical for oil and gas, GWO Basic Safety Training for wind, STCW basic training and a seafarer medical for ships.

National Careers Service: roustabout

What is the easiest job to get on an oil rig?

Roustabout is the role built for new starters. The BLS says roustabout positions typically do not require experience and can lead to derrick operator and driller.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics: oil and gas workers

What qualifications do you need for an oil rig?

For UK installations: BOSIET, an offshore medical from an OEUK registered doctor, and usually MIST after BOSIET, plus a shoulder breadth measurement to fly. The National Careers Service also lists an age over 18 for roustabouts. No school qualification is required by the bodies.

National Careers Service: roustabout

Which course is best for offshore?

The one your sector names. Oil and gas installations ask for OPITO's BOSIET, offshore wind for GWO Basic Safety Training with Sea Survival, and ships for STCW basic training. They are not interchangeable.

OPITO: BOSIET with CA-EBS standard

Can you work on wind turbines with no experience?

Yes, through an apprenticeship, a college course or a direct application as a trainee. The National Careers Service says you also need safety training, including sea survival offshore, and that the employer will say what is required.

National Careers Service: wind turbine technician

How much does an offshore medical cost?

Offshore Energies UK does not set the fee; registered doctors set their own. For a UK seafarer's ENG1, the MCA says the employer should pay once you are employed or have an offer.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: MSN 1887, medical certification

Do I need a TWIC card for offshore jobs?

In the US, for access to secure areas of regulated maritime facilities and vessels, and for a Merchant Mariner Credential, which requires a TWIC or proof of applying for one. TSA advises enrolling at least 60 days before you need it.

TSA: TWIC overview

Is there a weight limit for working offshore?

In the UK, yes. From 1 November 2026 anyone over 124 kg is not fit for offshore work under the Offshore Energies UK safe weight limit and cannot board the outbound flight.

Offshore Energies UK: Safe Weight Limit explanatory note, Issue 2, April 2026

How much do offshore jobs pay for beginners?

Of the 145 live entry-level jobs, 95 state their pay. Among those paid per month in USD, the median is $850 and half pay between $550 and $2,113 (34 listings). Among those paid per month in EUR, the median is €2,000 and half pay between €1,249 and €2,519 (29 listings). Among those paid per day in EUR, the median is €53 and half pay between €40 and €100 (19 listings). These are the figures the listings state, not estimates, and they change as listings open and close.

Sources

At a glance

Oil and gas, UK: BOSIET, then MIST, and an OEUK offshore medical
Offshore wind: GWO Basic Safety Training with Sea Survival, and a WINDA ID
Ships, UK: STCW basic training and an ENG1 medical
Ships and ports, US: A Merchant Mariner Credential, which needs a TWIC and a drug test
Minimum age: Over 18 for UK roustabouts; 16 for UK STCW basic training
Experience: None for roustabout, the BLS says

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