Cannabis professionals are divided over whether the industry is paying a living wage. With a range of points to consider, opinions are formed by various market metrics. From base salary to cost of living to P&L sheets, sources made cases for both sides of the argument.

Like much of cannabis, the answer remains far from definitive at this time.

Opinions Split Over Living Wage

Using data and first-hand experience, cannabis staffing company heads split on if the industry paid a living wage.

Kelsea Appelbaum, VP of Partnerships at Vangst, feels wages are meeting the standard. Using company data, she said average hourly salaries for roles such as budtenders, warehouse workers, extractors and cultivators range from $14 to around $30 per hour.

Applebaum pointed toward the company’s 2021 salary guide, highlighting roles like lab worker ($16 to $21 per hour), production techs ($14 to $30) and budtender ($14 to $25 per hour plus tips) as examples of the varied pay scales.