Cannabis Cultivation Industry Sees Salary Growth in 2021
CannabizTeam, a cannabis-focused executive search and staffing firm, has released a new report exploring jobs and hiring trends in cannabis cultivation, the fastest-growing segment of the global cannabis industry. The 2021 Cannabis Cultivation Salaries and Trends Report follows CannabizTeam’s three-edition Cannabis Industry Salary Guide, developed to help cannabis job seekers and employers understand real-time changes in the dynamic cannabis industry and make informed business decisions.
“The U.S. cannabis cultivation market is projected to be valued at over $350 billion by 2027, which means enormous possibility for job creation and compensation increases,” said Liesl Bernard, CEO of CannabizTeam. “Jobs in the cultivation sector include some of the highest-paying positions in the industry, yet we also see vast opportunities for entry-level candidates. Executive roles like vice president of cultivation and director of cultivation have seen double-digit salary growth in the past year, but even entry-level roles like trimmers have continued to see steady, upward compensation growth.”
After an overwhelming response to the 2021 Salary Guide, CannabizTeam started receiving feedback and questions from clients specifically in regards to cultivation. Employers were looking for insight on the future of the cultivation industry, while job seekers were searching for information on salary ranges and qualifications for a range of positions within the cultivation industry. In addition to exploring the most in-demand positions in cannabis cultivation and their associated salary ranges, highlights from the 2021 Cannabis Cultivation Salaries and Trends Report include:
- Expanding multi-state operators and the shift toward larger cultivation facilities is driving an increase in consolidation. Businesses are increasingly focused on improving the bottom line by maximizing production through scale, automation, labor division and specialization.
- Formal education and training is a competitive advantage for candidates seeking a top job in cultivation. Several leading universities are offering degrees, certificates, programs and/or courses related to cannabis cultivation.
- A lack of qualified talent in the cannabis industry is driving an influx of talent from other industries – agriculture being the most popular when it comes to cultivation. Talent is increasingly entering the cultivation industry from agricultural giants like Bayer, John Deere and Cargill.
- Utilizing on-demand cultivation talent is one of the most efficient ways for cannabis companies to scale their cultivation operations quickly and save costs, hiring as seasonal and other needs dictate.
Some of the most popular jobs that CannabizTeam has filled for employers in the last year include:
- vice president of cultivation
- cultivation director
- agronomist
- plant breeder
- tissue culture tech
- trimmer
The 2021 Cannabis Cultivation Salaries and Trends Report is published in partnership with Nine Point Strategies, Benzinga, Last Prisoner Project and Fisher Phillips.
To download a free copy of the new report, visit CannabizTeam.com/cannabis-cultivation-salary-guide.
