Looking through New Mexico’s nonprofit medical cannabis producer reports for the second quarter of 2016 revealed some interesting information about how much these organizations are paying employees, and what kinds of job titles employees get.
There’s bookkeepers, CEOs and cashiers, but there are also master growers, bud professionals, trimmers and concentrate specialists. Interestingly enough, one medical marijuana producer listed a number of interns in its social media, IT, accounting and research departments.
The 2016 second quarter reports listed employee compensation for different positions, and different producers had a wide variety of job titles and compensation numbers.
To get a general idea of annual compensation, Business First took the quarterly compensations for different positions and multiplied by four. It’s important to note employee compensation may vary quarter to quarter and that compensation is different from salary. The format used by producers to report compensation varied from producer to producer, meaning compensation numbers may be a bit skewed due to a lack of standardized information.
Here’s a rough snapshot of what different medical marijuana employees make in total employee compensation:
- CEOs averaged around $110,000 a year and executive directors averaging about $80,000 a year
- Master growers earn between $40,000 and $68,000 a year in compensation
- Trimmers, who make the least compared to other employees, averaged between $3,604 and $24,000 annually.
- Cooks, bakers and kitchen assistants, who work with edible cannabis products, make around $55,000 a year
- Greenhouse managers (lab managers, farm managers) pull in about $33,000 a year.
About 46 percent of producers reported compensating less than 10 employees this past quarter, and about 20 percent reported compensating over 20. Many newer producers reported compensating either zero employees or one, since many have yet to make any cannabis sales.
In 2012, the average salary in New Mexico was $40,709, which was the 31st highest average nationally.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Unique New Mexico Medical Cannabis Jobs And What They Pay
Author: Marissa Higdon
Contact: Albuquerque Business First
Photo Credit: Open Range Stock
Website: Albuquerque Business First
