Marijuana Industry Jobs in the US to Grow by 34% in 2019
The marijuana industry is developing rapidly, and the demand for marijuana and its derivatives is increasing every day. As a result, experts predict that the number of marijuana-related job openings in the US will rise by 34% this year.
According to a new report from Marijuana Business Daily, the total number of jobs in the American marijuana industry will increase by 34% by the end of 2019. Between 175,000 and 215,000 Americans will be working in the legal marijuana industry. This is up from approximately 130,000 to 160,000 full-time positions in 2018.
For comparison, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are currently about 120,000 flight attendants and 83,800 veterinarians in the country. The marijuana industry may even create more jobs than the web development industry—a fast-growing employment sector expected to employ about 170,000 people this year.
In 2018, legal marijuana stores sold between $8.6 and $10.8 billion worth of products, a 35% increase over 2017. According to these figures, Americans spent more money on marijuana than on e-cigarettes, chips, and the video game “Fortnite” combined. The overall economic impact of marijuana production is also expected to grow by 35% this year, reaching $39.2–48 billion.
The report notes that as sales and product prices rise, wages for cannabis industry workers are also increasing. By 2023, the sector could employ between 385,000 and 475,000 workers, surpassing the total number of executives or clergy members in the US.
Additionally, in February 2019, the job posting site Glassdoor reported that legal marijuana cultivation companies increased their hiring requirements by 76% from December 2017 to December 2018. The report also showed that this industry paid its workers 10% more than the national average.
Another report from Whitney Economics and Leafly found that 68,000 jobs were created in 2018, with another 40,000 new positions expected by the end of 2019.
So, if you’re looking for a job, these statistics suggest that the marijuana industry offers a statistically higher chance of employment than most other sectors. More importantly, these numbers indicate that the future is overwhelmingly green.