Legal cannabis states continue to reap the benefits of the growing industry, with cannabis jobs ranking among the most important of those benefits. While inflation, high interest rates and recessionary concerns are causing some businesses to cut back, the cannabis industry is projected to add 108,000 new jobs in 2023.

That’s the finding of a new Cannabis Salary Study by cannabis staffing and executive search firm CannabizTeam. The company’s research indicates that the three main areas of the industry – cultivation, testing and retail – are all hiring.

“Cannabis job salaries are on the rise across the board—from entry-level to executive positions”, CannabizTeam wrote on its website. “We’re living in a special time in history for cannabis, and we can’t wait to see where the story goes.”

That’s especially true for the largest states and as well as places like Michigan where cannabis is becoming increasingly popular. The state smashed sales records in 2022.

Cannabis Jobs Available in All Areas

The range of cannabis jobs is impressive, according to Forbes. They include both jobs in the industry, as well as jobs in businesses that serve or supply cannabis companies and retail dispensaries. They include the following.

• Executives
• Accountants
• Computer programmers
• Marketers
• Salespeople
• Attorneys
• Public relations specialists
• Plant biologists
• Chemists
• Farmers
• Food and beverage experts
• Budtenders

“Whether you’ve got a PhD or a prior conviction for possession, you should be able to find a good fit with the industry’s broad spectrum of opportunities,” Forbes writer Judy Weed noted. She added that companies that provide equipment, lighting, merchandising supplies and chemical equipment for analysis to the cannabis industry also are hiring.

The study also found that the average salary of dispensary managers increased 6 percent and that the high demand jobs in retail and dispensaries included budtenders, delivery drivers, supply chain managers, custodians, and security personnel.

High-Paying Cannabis Jobs in Cultivation

As more businesses move into growing cannabis, they are searching for experienced cannabis cultivation experts who have had success running large-scale, multi-location operations that include greenhouse and indoor facilities. Some of the most qualified cannabis cultivation directors can earn up to $195,700, according to the salary report.

However, there also are plenty of entry level positions available, especially seasonal positions. Popular positions in cannabis cultivation include agronomists, lighting experts, growers, and trimmers.

The increased number of jobs is part of the stunning, rapid growth of the cannabis industry in recent years. It’s a growth that is not expected to stop. In a recent analysis from Grand View Research, the global cannabis market is expected to grow at a staggering 25.4 percent per year from now until 2030. In dollar figures, that means an increase in market size from $16.7 billion in 2022 to more than $102 billion in 2030.