If you’ve been paying attention to the cannabis and marijuana industry as a whole of late, you know that there is a ton of growth going on. Of course, this rapid growth also means that quite a few employment opportunities have been created and are currently available and while it can be the dream job of many, there are a few things to know when seeking a job in the cannabis industry.
Understand What a Legal Growing Operation Looks Like
One just has to watch the Netflix documentary ‘Murder Mountain’ to understand the dangers of trying to dive into the industry without knowing at least a little about what you’re doing. Jumping on a bus and heading to any city that has a foothold in the industry, without having a job offer or at least a game plan, is simply asking for trouble.
As with any job opportunity, you need to do a little research. How old is the company? Are they permitted for their state/area? Who is behind the project? Click here.
One of the most important questions — WHERE is the operation? Having a job in the mountains where there is little to no cell phone reception and no internet is a recipe for disaster.
And remember … if the job sounds too good to be true, there’s a 99.9% chance that it is.
Available Marijuana & Cannabis Careers
If you’re interested in joining the “revolution” and want to procure some sort of marijuana job or cannabis career, you need to know what sort of jobs are available. Because let’s face it, there’s a LOT to this industry.
However, the two biggest factors you want to consider for your first marijuana job/cannabis career are: what position you’re interested in and the amount of money you have to make to start. Why? Because simply put, your duties and compensation will vary greatly.
From lowest to highest, here’s what you can expect annually in a majority of the states:
- Packager – $17k – $40k+
- Trimmer – $17k – $41k+
- Courier – $19k – $35k+
- Dispensary Cashier/Receptionist – $19k – $35k+
- Budtender – $21k – $40k+
- Extraction Tech – $27k to $43k+
- Dispensary Manager – $40k to $75k+
- Edibles Chef – $40k to $90k+
- Tester/Quality Control Inspector – $50k to $120k+
Note: this job is NOT someone that simply stays high all day. Many of these positions require a Ph.D. in a related scientific field such as chemistry, entomology, biology, or agronomy.
- Master Grower – $50k to $120k+
- Master Extractor – $80k to $250k+
As you can see, there are indeed a variety of marijuana and cannabis careers, but some of them may require more education and/or experience than you expected.
If you truly have more than a passing interest in obtaining a career in the industry and it’s not simply because you like to smoke a lot, the biggest tip we can give you is: do your homework.
In spite of what you’ve heard and read, there’s no get rich quick aspect to a marijuana career. If you want to move into that area, you have to review the company, the position, the location and surrounding area, housing costs and cost of living, and every single aspect of making the career move.
