As of 2022, more than 400 thousand cannabis industry jobs were created in the United States alone (that's 33% from the prior year.)
That number hit over 151 thousand cannabis industry jobs in Canada, with the market size growing by 83% over five years.
What are jobs in the cannabis industry?
There are thousands of unique jobs in the cannabis industry; however high level - they typically fall under two categories.
- Plant-touching: Jobs where people work directly with products like retail products or cultivation.
- Auxiliary: Non-plant-touching jobs that support the industry like software, marketing or consultants.
Here are the Top 10 Cannabis Jobs:
1. Budtender - customer-facing, interacting with potential buyers to make sales. Budtenders need to teach newcomers about the different cannabis varieties. They are the guides for both newbies and veterans regarding marijuana understanding. Knowledge of compliance, products, essential technologies and operating procedures is necessary
2. Dispensary managers - handle the day-to-day operations of running a cannabis store. When looking at entry-level jobs, this isn't on the list, and some provinces even require cannabis retail managers to acquire a special license before managing a store. This is a career centric job - and the position one might earn after being a lead budtender.
3. Dispensary owner - Many people interested in the cannabis industry aim to get one of the elusive cannabis dispensary owner jobs. Owners are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a dispensary by hiring the right managers and growing the business. How much a dispensary owner makes can vary heavily. Still, owners typically make a salary starting at $250 thousand but can earn up to $1 million annually if they are strong business people.
4. Inventory manager - Cannabis inventory manager jobs do what you would expect: manage inventory. However, many cannabis inventory managers also enforce policy and support operational work. Inventory managers are incredibly important as they determine how much stock is necessary to keep a business running.
5. Cannabis cultivator - Cannabis cultivator jobs, or growers, are experts at managing the growing, harvesting, and planting of cannabis plants. This role is paramount as it helps supply the initial product. Cannabis cultivators are typically entry-level; however, these positions also offer growth opportunities.
6. ‍Accounting jobs- Cannabis accounting, bookkeepers, general accountants, and accounts payable specialists are all examples of opportunities to work within the accounting space in cannabis. An accountant must have a bachelor's degree and an accounting certification (CPA). More advanced accountants require more education and experience to help them grow.
7. Security services- are in high demand because there is a lot of value in cannabis products. Security specialists can include those who specialize in installing security systems to those who patrol and defend budtenders against more unruly customers. Either way, experience in the business is a must.
8. CannaTech Job- Jobs in cannabis technology or "cannatech" help build, sell, manage and support cannabis software companies. Dispensaries and cultivation spaces alike need a lot of cannabis technology to succeed - including dispensary POS systems, website-based software, business management software, and people management solutions. Now that we mention it - KayaPush cannabis software is hiring! KayaPush offers payroll, hr, time tracking, and scheduling software specifically for cannabis dispensaries. There is a lot of growth opportunity for members of the cannabis industry.
9. Sales and marketing- There is a lot to sell in the world of cannabis, and due to regulations, it takes a special kind of sales or marketing person to succeed in the industry. Marketing teams need to understand the customer's needs and the federal regulations that limit them from making unwarranted medical claims. Sales representatives might work on behalf of independent growers to sell their products to dispensaries. Not all dispensary store owners also own the farms that produce the product.
10. Cannabis consultant- assist dispensary owners with understanding how to set up, launch, or succeed in the cannabis space. Consultants are experts in their field because of their business or cannabis-specific experience. These experts are among the highest paid in the cannabis field.
Find a cannabis job you love at Kaya Push. Check out our careers page at: www.kayapush.com/careers