Cannabis is a serious business. The global cannabis market size exceeded $20 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow to almost $200 billion by 2028. Additionally, the continued expansion of cannabis legalization at the state level and the supercharged growth of the industry at large mean that new and expanding businesses need a wealth of workers to fill open positions.
For job seekers, employment opportunities extend far beyond the obvious cannabis roles like sales reps, budtenders, security officers, drivers, cultivation techs, and trimmers. The sector offers a wide spectrum of positions that are the same as those in more traditional and established sectors.
Cannabis Career Options
If you’re looking to become part of the growing cannabis industry or simply want to advance your existing skillset in a new arena, the opportunities are significant. The salary potential is equally significant.
For example, if you’re thinking about a career change and want to participate in the development of this nascent industry, you can find a variety of roles in which previous noncannabis experience will seamlessly translate to a rewarding position that provides professional growth.
And because the cannabis sector is so new, you can even find opportunities to help build a company from the ground up and gain a solid understanding of how to incorporate the correct rules and regulations for the business to remain compliant, which is an important skill for working in any regulated industry.
When our cannabis staffing firm released the Higher Growth Search 2022 Salary Guide, we provided salary data for a full range of cannabis positions in the critical administrative and infrastructure roles required to run a sustainable cannabis business, as well as C-suite roles like CFO and CEO, and other executive positions such as Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Human Resources.
Not only does our report provide salary ranges for plant-touching jobs such as extraction technician, picker, dispensary manager, and processing assistant, but it also lists dozens of common business positions. A few key roles include operations manager, administrative assistant, director of finance, and payroll manager.
Cannabis Job Salaries
Across the cannabis industry, skilled applicants are in high demand in the following areas: finance, human resources, accounting, operations, and logistics. These are roles where individuals who are ready to make a switch can take skills acquired elsewhere and put them to use in cannabis.
Below are a few examples of traditional job roles and the salary ranges applicants can expect to receive if the position is with a cannabis company. Note that salaries vary based on the geographical region of the legal, state-regulated market:
- Chief Finance Officer: $265,000 - $475,000
- Chief of Staff: $175,000 - $307,100
- Vice President, Human Resources: $155,000 - $275,000
- Director of Finance: $115,000 - $206,000
- Digital Marketing Manager: $83,300 - $145,200
- Office Manager: $64,800 - $101,700
- Production Supervisor: $40,140 - $62,200
- Human Resources Generalist: $60,000 - $85,000
- Logistics Coordinator: $40,000 - $51,450
- Receptionist: $30,000 - $44,400
Other skills that are applicable to the cannabis industry relate to the cannabis plant itself. Anyone with work experience involving gardening, cultivation, or landscaping can find a place in the sector. Cannabis is obviously different from other plants, but a green thumb can go a long way in an industry based on a living plant that requires care and proper handling for a profitable harvest.
Similarly, candidates with transportation experience moving products or a background in logistics and operations have a great entry point into the cannabis industry, which needs people who can manage the direction and oversight of product manufacturing, packaging, and distribution.
If you are interested in making a career change and becoming part of this growing industry, contact us at info@highergrowthserarch.com.
Higher Growth Search is here to help you secure your next position. For other workplace insight, check out our 5 Tips for Creating a Great Cannabis Resume.