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As more and more states decriminalize cannabis, the market continues to grow, and demand for qualified cannabis professionals increases. Employment is up 33% from 2021. And the pay outlook is good: the average starting wage is $42,000, while it can go as high as an average of $256,300 per year for vice presidents for cultivation.

What Kinds of Work Can I Do in This Field?

Certification as a cannabis professional can help you land many satisfying, well-paying jobs. If you are interested in the hands-on part of the field, you might pursue a career as a master grower, master exactor, or edible maker. If working with people and customer service is your bag, you might be well-suited to be a budtender, customer service associate, or store manager. Or, if you like writing and communicating, you might choose a career as a marketing and communications professional.

Master Grower

As you might expect, a master grower is responsible for the cultivation of cannabis, ranging from the selection of seeds to plant nutrition, pest control, the harvest of cannabis, and oversight of assistants. This is an in-demand job of great responsibility and usually requires that you work your way up from other roles in the industry. A background in horticulture is also helpful. If your goal is to work up to this position, you could start with a subordinate position in the industry, like a bud trimmer or grower assistant.

Master Extractor

If the master grower is responsible for the cultivation of cannabis, the master extractor’s job is to get the essential compounds–the CBD and THC–out of the plant and into a form that can be converted into various tinctures, edibles, topicals, and other products. Like the master grower, this is an in-demand job that involves managing others, and those with a background in chemistry or science are the best positioned to be strong candidates. And, also like the master grower, you can potentially work your way up to this role from a subordinate position, like an extraction technician or specialist.

Edible Maker

If you like to express yourself with food, a job as an edible maker might be for you. Edible makers mix cannabis extracts with various flavors to create everything from candies to rich desserts, sodas, teas, and even cannabis-infused olive oils.

Budtender, Customer Service Associate, or Store Manager

If you enjoy working with the public and helping them choose the right product for them, you might be a good fit for a retail role. Depending on the business, these professionals might be called customer service associates or budtenders and are responsible for stocking and day-to-day sales of cannabis-related products. These are usually entry-level positions; if you choose, you can work your way up to positions of higher pay and responsibility, like store manager. As the name suggests, store managers are responsible for an entire store (or sometimes more than one location), including ordering the product, pricing, and overseeing employees.

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Like any industry, the cannabis industry needs marketing professionals. So if you enjoy strategizing about how to position and sell a product, and if you like to write, design, and speak in public, this might be the perfect role.

How Can a Professional Certificate Help?

Though many states in the US have decriminalized or are working to decriminalize cannabis, each state has laws to govern the cultivation and sale of cannabis-related products. Therefore, there is a significant demand for cannabis professionals who can help various cannabis businesses stay in state compliance.

A cannabis certification can produce these professionals. Additionally, the specialized knowledge that cannabis professionals need to work in the field is not readily available everywhere, leading many to seek credentials such as those offered by Lackawanna College.

As the cannabis industry grows and gains credibility, the need for workers is also increasing, eventually leading to greater competition for available roles. Hiring managers will increasingly need ways to choose between candidates.

Suppose you want to differentiate yourself from other job seekers within the field. In that case, you might consider cannabis classes leading to professional certification in cannabis, like our Cannabis Professional Certification program at Lackawanna College. With our certification, you can be career-ready and competitive in just 15 weeks. Consider scheduling a visit. Or apply today!