Cannabis Job Compensation Broad Overview
-by Michael Penner
Note: You may re-post this article according to its CreativeCommons CC-BY license. Enjoy!
What does it pay, on average, to hold various jobs in the Colorado cannabis market?
Job Title | Pay |
|---|---|
| Budtender | $15.77- $32.00/hr |
| Packager | $15.00 - $18.00/hr |
| Cannabis Trimmer | $16.00 - $30.00/hr |
| Dispensary Retail Associate | $17.50 – $21.00/hr |
| Assistant Grower | $45k – $70k/annual |
| Dispensary Store Manager | $45k - 53k/annual |
| Master Grower | $100k+ |
| Market Director, Retail Store Operations | $122k - $158k |
These are averages. I chose this sampling of jobs because they represent different sides of the product experience and demonstrate the diversity of career paths available. New job categories are created all the time by enterprising people that have found a better way of doing things. It’s still a young industry with lots of room for growth and career diversity ahead.
The wide range in compensation for jobs like Cannabis Trimmer clearly shows the difference being credentialed and experienced can have. Not shown are incentives such as medical benefits, matching 401k, bonuses, or profit sharing. Such incentives are important for employers who want to attract the best talent, regardless of job description.
The links below are only a sampling of the different websites I used for this article.
- https://www.indeed.com/career/dispensary-manager/salaries/CO
- https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/budtender-salary/co
- https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/retail-associate-cannabis-buffalo-biotech-llc-JV_IC1147931_KO0,25_KE26,45.htm?jl=1008457086552
- https://www.wikileaf.com/thestash/cannabis-industry-salaries-a-2020-weed-industry-guide/
- https://www.salary.com/research/salary/employer/evergreen-market/director-retail-store-operations-salary