Top Five Benefits of Working in the Cannabis Industry

Jul 28, 2023

The cannabis business is exploding, providing entry-level to executive employment. In addition, cannabis companies offer competitive pay and excellent benefits, including paid time off, medical insurance, and retirement savings plans. 

The cannabis industry is growing so fast! There were roughly 107,059 jobs in 2021 alone. This industry has seen an annual employment increase of 27% or more five years in a row.

Are you looking for a job in cannabis? Are you ready to explore the perks of working in cannabis? Then keep reading! This blog post will review the top five benefits of working in the cannabis industry.

1. Stable, Rapid Growth

Because the cannabis business is expanding so rapidly, it offers many employment possibilities. Can you believe there are more legal cannabis workers in the US than dentists, paramedics, or electrical engineers?

Both recreational and medical marijuana fields tend to be more stable than other industries. This is because the cannabis industry is less susceptible to economic downturns than other sectors. 

When our economy experiences a downturn, people may reduce spending on non-essential items like travel and dining out. However, they are still likely to purchase cannabis, especially when there is a medical need. 

2. Diverse Job Options

The cannabis industry is diverse, with positions available in many different fields. For example, you could find a job in:

  • Cultivation
  • Cannabis Manufacturing
  • Retail Sales and Management (Budtender)
  • Cannabis Testing
  • Cannabis Marketing
  • Groom Room Set-Up and Design
  • Trimming
  • Brand Ambassador
  • Directors of Cultivation
  • Delivery Driving
  • Sales Reps
  • Packaging
  • Administrative and Corporate Roles

No matter your skill set, there's a cannabis job for you. 

And if you're looking to change careers, the cannabis industry is a great place to do it. For example, if you're a teacher looking for a career change, you could become a cannabis educator. Or, if you're a nurse, you could become a cannabis nurse. The options are endless if you have transferrable skills. 

3. Great Benefits

It should be no surprise that working in cannabis can be pretty lucrative. Typically, jobs in cannabis offer competitive pay and excellent benefits. It wasn't always this way, but as the industry grows, so do the benefits.

Benefits Packages

Depending on the job position and the company you work for, you can expect benefits such as:

  • Paid time off
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Retirement savings plans
  • Remote work
  • Disability
  • Smoke-friendly workplace
  • Equity and stock options
  • In-store and company discounts

Cannabis companies want to attract and retain the best employees, which is why they offer significant benefits to lure in top talent. In addition, many companies operate in states with high costs of living. So, the higher pay and excellent benefits help offset the elevated expenses.

If you're searching for an exciting job with great benefits, cannabis is the way to go!

Product Discounts

If allowed in your state, many cannabis jobs come with employee discounts too. Many people change to a career in cannabis for this benefit alone. It is reported that the average dispensary worker gets 25%-35% off in-store purchases from a company employee discount.

4. Higher than Average Pay

Cannabis jobs saw impressive salary growth over the last two years and include some of the highest salaries in the US.

Cultivation managers make an average salary of $85,000, and cannabis Lab Directors can earn upwards of $100,000 per year. 

Pay fluctuates according to job location, but here are some general examples.

  • Grower/Horticulturalist: $40K - $70K
  • Trimmer/Post Harvester: $14 - $22.50/hour
  • Quality Manager: $50K - $90K
  • Extraction Technician: $16 - $21/hour
  • Edibles Specialist: $50K - $90K
  • Production Supervisor: $65K - $110K
  • Production Technician: $14 - $30/hour
  • Packager: $14 - $20/hour
  • Budtender: $14 - $25/hour
  • Delivery Driver: $17 - $21/hour
  • Customer Support Agent: $15 - $18/hour

As the cannabis business grows, we expect salaries to continue to rise.

5. No Experience Necessary

If you're looking for a job in cannabis but have never worked in cannabis, you should not worry because most companies are willing to train employees with little to no experience. If you are interested and dedicated to learning, you'll do fine in this field.

If you think about it, many of the skills you already have are transferable. For example, if you have excellent sales skills, you will likely succeed in cannabis retail. 

Some other examples of skills that you can use in cannabis jobs include:

  • Marketing skills
  • Customer service skills
  • Bilingualism
  • Organizational skills
  • Lab technician skills
  • Design skills

Cannabis Jobs: A Day in the Life

Curious about what it's like to work in the cannabis industry? Here are a couple of "day in the life of" examples:

The cannabis industry is a great choice when switching or starting a new career. With so many benefits, it's no wonder the industry is booming!

Wrapping it Up

When most people think about working in cannabis, they automatically think of working in a dispensary. While this is a great option, many positions are available in the cannabis industry. 

This sector allows employees to enjoy smoke-friendly workplaces and discounts on cannabis products with competitive pay. Another plus is that experience is usually unnecessary as most companies are eager to train employees.

If you're interested in the cannabis industry but don't know where to start, check out ezhirecannabis. We connect cannabis employers with qualified candidates. Create your profile and find competitive cannabis jobs today!

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