The cannabis industry is growing. In fact, market research predicts explosive growth in this area in the next ten years. And with that growth comes some unique and surprisingly high-paying job opportunities—no pun intended.
From growing, to marketing, to finances, there are a lot of jobs needed to get this popular product to the consumer. Here are the five highest-paying jobs we could find in the cannabis industry.
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1. Dispensary Manager
If you are a people person and are comfortable with sales, a job as a dispensary manager might be right up your alley.
The dispensary manager runs the brick-and-mortar shop. Your responsibilities would likely include managing inventory, interacting with customers, and training employees.
Dispensary managers need to have a deep knowledge of their cannabis products, excellent customer service skills, and an ability to manage employees.
While managers in other companies often hold degrees in their field, cannabis is one industry where experience is usually more important than a degree.
The annual salary for a dispensary manager typically runs between $75K-$85K.
2. Agronomist
An agronomist is a fancy name for someone that is an expert in crop production and soil management.
Agronomists are often called “crop doctors.” In the cannabis industry, they are the ones who know how to grow marijuana plants and cultivate them for new strains.
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The salary range for this position runs between $80K-$110K annually. They generally hold a degree in biology, earth science, or a related science field. Often a master’s degree in one of those areas is preferred.
3. Compliance Officer
Many industries have a compliance officer. These individuals make sure that a company follows any industry or federal regulatory requirements. In the cannabis industry, the job is all about keeping cannabis production legal. As you can probably imagine, this kind of work is in high demand.
A compliance manager must have knowledge of all local and federal regulations, as well as excellent attention to detail and an ability to manage people. They often have a background in law or business administration.
The average salary can run from $90K-$110K for a cannabis compliance manager.
4. Director of Operations
The Director of Operations is all about getting the product ready to be distributed. This person is in charge of dealing with the logistics of storage and packing the product.
Keeping cannabis fresh is crucial to the integrity of the product, so this is an incredibly important job in the cannabis business.
The Director of Operations can make between $145K-$155K per year and requires a high level of organization and experience in production or product management.
5. One of the Highest Paying Jobs: Chief Financial Officer
One of the highest paying jobs in the cannabis industry is the Chief Financial officer, bringing in a whopping $260K-$330K per year.
This highly skilled position requires a strong financial and business background. CFOs are responsible for the financial planning and analysts of the company.
They also track and project funds, manage vendor relations, and create budgets.
A New “Green Deal”
With marijuana laws changing rapidly across the United States, new jobs in this field are budding as we speak. Depending on your skill set and background, there are many fulfilling and high-paying jobs in the cannabis market for you.