Get in on the Grow Level: The Top 5 High-Paying Jobs in the Marijuana Industry
Did you know that the economic impact of legalized marijuana is estimated to reach $77 billion by 2022?
Medical marijuana is not legal in more than 30 states across the United States, while nine states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana. With the increase in the legalization of marijuana, there’s been a large increase in the available of high-paying cannabis jobs in this industry.
There’s no doubt that the cannabis world is booming. Considering how quickly this industry is growing and that it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, finding yourself a job opening in the marijuana industry is a smart financial move.
Interested in learning about the highest paying jobs in the marijuana industry? Keep reading for more!
Master Extractor
When the marijuana industry just started taking off, most people assumed that cannabis was in a constant dry state like the buds they have seen in the past. However, concentrates and extracts make up nearly half of the cannabis market today.
Master extractors take marijuana plants and turn them into oils and other forms of concentrates. As the vaping industry continues to grow and more people are using oils and concentrates derived from marijuana, the need for master extractors has grown.
There are some industry regulations that have led companies to hire candidates that have a PhD that’s within a relevant field. However, candidates that meet the criteria find the pay of this job highly rewarding.
Some of the responsibilities that a master extractor can expect to see in a day are overseeing the daily functioning of an extraction laboratory. In addition, a master extractor will ensure that the laboratory is functioning within government guidelines.
With their expert knowledge, master extractors are often required to manage the entire extraction operation, including staff members, equipment safety, and that accurate levels of cannabinoids (THC and CBD especially) and terpenes are extracted to be used in concentrates or oils.
Master Grower
This is probably the most sought-after job in the cannabis industry. What cannabis enthusiast wouldn’t want to be in charge of growing thousands of cannabis plants? However, a master grower is not someone who has grown a few plants here and there over the last few years. Master growers or Directors of Cultivation as they are commonly referred to have been the lead cultivator for at least 3 years and has done so in a grow that’s at least 10,000 square feet.
Some of the other responsibilities of a master grower include cloning, pest control, plant nutrition and grow house technology. In addition, this position requires attention to detail to create and enforce policies and procedures, ensuring everything has proper documentation. In addition to employee training, this candidate will also interact with state inspectors and law enforcements during inspections.
Quality Control Inspector / Compliance
A quality control inspector is responsible for putting protocols in place to make sure that the entirety of the business is meeting local and federal standards. In addition, quality control inspectors are also responsible for meeting any expectations that external inspectors have required.
Depending on the company that a quality control inspector works for, there are a variety of tasks that may be required from this position. Some of the responsibilities include checking and reviewing plant potency, complying with safety standards, inspecting the quality of the marijuana, ensuring that the product meets with health and safety standards, and that the company isn’t breaking any laws. However, larger companies will hire a Compliance Manager, in addition to a Quality Control Inspector, to make sure the company is following state and federal regulations.
Testing Lab Manager
A testing lab manager oversees the lab techs and all of the other people who are located in a facility that processes marijuana products and marijuana itself. It’s against most state regulations to sell products containing marijuana unless they’ve been tested by a third-party laboratory, which has created testing lab managers as a centerpiece of the cannabis industry.
It’s the job of a testing lab manager to oversee the lab technicians testing everything from concentrates and edibles that are ready to be sold to buds that have been recently harvested. Depending on the state regulations, as well as what’s being tested, some of the tests that a testing lab manager will oversee are checking for contaminants, pesticides, and taking a look at the cannabinoid and terpene levels.
In addition, a testing lab manager will also oversee the testing lab to ensure that the tested products conform to current standards and regulations.
Cannabis Consultant
While being a consultant is a relatively high-paying career path, being a consultant in the cannabis industry is especially lucrative. Offering consultation services in the cannabis industry can help budding business owners to find the best locations for their business, find and obtain the licenses they need to open and operate their companies, and provide legal consultations for any other legal matters that a company may need to ensure that they don’t get shut down or fined.
Finding the Highest-Paying Jobs in the Marijuana Industry
If you’re looking to enter a high-paying job in the marijuana industry, the above-listed roles are not only exciting positions, but are also respectable if you’re interested in helping people. You’ll be playing a role in helping people to ease the symptoms of their health conditions, as well as relax and enjoy themselves more.
Despite what some people may think, there’s a large variety of high-paying jobs in the marijuana industry. Being a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, there’s a lot of hard work and dedication that goes into making sure that companies succeed.
Cannabis salaries range from minimum wage for entry level trimmers to up to $180,000 for Master Cultivators or Master Extractors and even over $200,000 for C-Level employees with previous experience. Are you interesting in seeing more cannabis salaries? This cannabis salary chart shows cannabis industry salaries from jobs filled by HempStaff over the past 5 years and is updated on an annual basis.
Are you interested in receiving cannabis industry training to land a job in the marijuana industry? Click here to learn more!
