United States: the cannabis industry pays better than average

As the cannabis industry grows rapidly, driven by legalization initiatives, it creates economic wealth and jobs. Labor market analysts at Glassdoor Economic Research compiled and reviewed job postings on online platforms directly related to the cannabis industry in the United States. They found that these postings increased by 76% between 2017 and 2018, a sign of confidence in the industry’s future growth.

Sectors that employ

The sectors of the cannabis industry can be broadly divided into three categories: services and sales, professional and technical expertise, and manual labor. While it is often assumed that most job openings are related to sales or cannabis cultivation, more than half of them (57%) are actually related to technical services such as legal expertise.

Startups must indeed navigate a complex legal environment that requires a certain level of technical expertise. « »As the cannabis industry becomes increasingly mainstream, the demand for professionals who can help companies ensure compliance with tax laws and regulations and adapt to larger markets will continue to grow,” explains analyst Daniel Zaho.

Private companies are not the only ones seeking this expertise. Governments also need experts to assist them in drafting these laws and regulations. The’Washington State For example, it is offering 22 new positions to expand its legal division specializing in cannabis.

Experts in marketing and product development are also needed, as startups need to build their brand image and create brands that will attract consumers and enable them to compete. Glassdoor also predicts that the industry will have an increasing demand for workers with experience in complying with safety and quality standards.

Finally, while they are not included in the report—which lists only direct job openings—an entire parallel industry supports the growth of the cannabis industry and also creates jobs. Some laboratories, for example, specialize in cannabis analysis, and an increasing number of startups are now dedicated to develop technologies for the cannabis industry.

Employees Who Earn More Than the Average

In its report Local Pay Report, Glassdoor estimates that workers in the cannabis industry earn 11% more than the average U.S. wage. Of course, there are significant variations depending on the position held. The lowest salaries are $22,326 per year, and the highest can reach up to 215,384$.

Job openings are often located in major cities where the cannabis culture is well-established. San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, together account for a quarter of all cannabis-related job openings in the United States. Generally (in 80% of cases), it is small businesses with fewer than 500 employees that are hiring. Large companies are not necessarily interested in local markets and prefer to wait for the emergence of a unified federal market or to invest abroad.

According to Daniel Zaho, this surge in job openings reflects growing confidence in the industry’s future development: «Investment in human resources is one of the most important indicators of confidence in the industry because it requires a long-term investment of time, effort, and money.».