5 of the Top Paying Jobs in the Cannabis Sector
The marijuana industry is no joke. In the United States alone, the industry has over 220,000 full-time employees, and many more part-time employees. What makes this particularly eye-opening is that just eight years ago there was not a single state in the U.S. where marijuana was legal for recreational purposes – now it’s legal in 11, while being legal in over 30 for medical purposes.
However, not all of these jobs are created equally. Some are modest-paying jobs that require little to no experience or educational history (not that they don’t require skill, but many allow on-the-job learning), such as budtender or trimmer. However, there is also a plethora of high-paying marijuana-related jobs, ranging from marijuana attorney to lab technician.
With that in mind, in this article we will look at five of the top paying jobs in the legal marijuana industry
5 Top Paying Cannabis jobs:
Marijuana Attorney:
Given the fact that many marijuana businesses have to deal with a vast array of state and local laws and regulations – not to mention the fact that it remains illegal federally – most of them have at least one marijuana attorney they have working for them, who can answer any questions they have, deal with any potential lawsuit or threats from the city, etc..
Average pay: $100,000 – $150,000
Education requirement: Law degree
Marijuana Lab Technician:
Responsibilities of a marijuana lab technician include extracting THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids from cannabis plants, and testing marijuana and marijuana products for a variety of things (such as THC content, pesticide content, etc.).
Average pay: $75,000 – $125,000
Education requirement: Varies, but many have PhDs.
Grow Master:
Grow Master may be one of, if not the highest paying cannabis-related job titles that doesn’t necessarily require any type of college degree – though a certificate from a grow masters class or course is useful. However, this doesn’t mean getting the job is easy – typically people start small, working for other growers until they build up the knowledge and experience necessary to run the show themselves.
Average pay: $80,000 – $100,000
Education requirement: Varies
Marijuana Business Consultant/Administrator:
Marijuana businesses owners tend to – rightfully – have a bevy of questions and concerns, and need help with much of the day-to-day operations of their business. This is where the marijuana business consultant or administrator comes into play.
Average pay: $75,000 to $90,000
Education requirement: Degree in business administration or accounting
Dispensary/Retail Store Manager:
Managers of marijuana businesses, especially popular dispensaries, tend to be paid quite well. And for good reason – the job is a challenge and takes a lot of work, patience and understanding of not only how to run a business but how to run a marijuana business.
Average pay: $70,000 to $85,000
Education requirement: Varies