Cannabis Career Exploration

In addition to information on transferable and cannabis skills, below are summaries of possible jobs across the various cannabis license and permit types, followed by full job descriptions for possible jobs. These are meant to serve as examples, for educational purposes. Each cannabis business will operate differently, which means not all jobs will be available for all businesses.

There are also cannabis educational opportunities on our Cannabis Education page to prepare you for a job in cannabis.

After you identify positions you’re interested in, be sure to visit our Finding a Cannabis Job page, for helpful tips on looking and applying for a job you’ll love.

The skills, jobs, and descriptions on this page were sourced from national job boards and cannabis markets in other states, and do not reflect the Office of Cannabis Management or NYS Department of Labor regulations or policies.

Prior experience working with adult-use or medical cannabis, hemp, or similar products is helpful but not required. The industry will be full of a diverse set of skilled employees that come from many professional and personal backgrounds. In fact, many of the skills you already have are transferable into cannabis. 

Transferable Skills

• Experience as a barista/bartender/server? You could start as an entry-level bud tender.
• Experience working in a nursery or on a farm? You could start as an entry-level cultivator, harvester, or trimmer.
• Experience working in manufacturing? You could start in an entry-level packager or production position.
• Experience as a med or lab tech? You could start in an entry-level position in processing or lab testing.
• Experience as an operations manager in a restaurant, retail location, or warehouse? You could transfer into management in the cannabis industry.
• Experience with logistics or delivery? Many of these skills can be transferred to the logistics side of the cannabis industry. 

Cannabis Skills

Cannabis-specific skillsets are centered around:

• Knowledge of cannabis product types
• Proprietary management and tracking systems to track inventory, processing, and distribution

Skills needed across the cannabis industry include:

Cultivators need people with experience in good agricultural practices, an understanding of plant science, propagation, pest and disease management, harvesting, post-harvest activities, or equipment and facilities maintenance.

Nurseries need people with experience in good agricultural practices, plant breeding, creating seeds, growing of immature plants that will be used by cultivators.

Extraction facilities need people with an understanding of good manufacturing practices, the science of plant compound extraction and refinement, and equipment operation and maintenance.

Manufacturing & Infusion operators need people who understand good manufacturing practices and the science of product formulation, safe food handling, quality assurance, and equipment operation and maintenance.

Retail Dispensaries and on-site consumption spaces need experts in sales, customer service, and marketing with knowledge of cannabis product types and uses, employee and public security protocols, and public health risks.

Delivery and distribution need experts in inventory tracking, warehouse management, delivery, sales, and customer service.

Testing and sampling firms need experts in analytical and lab testing methods, quality assurance, chain of custody, and sample integrity.

Use the Cannabis Transferable Skills Assessment Tool to discover how your existing job skills, knowledge, and abilities can be leveraged for a role in the cannabis industry.

Access and explore the Cannabis Transferable Skills Assessment Tool.

Cultivators grow cannabis plants whose flowers will be harvested and either sold to dispensaries for retail sale or sold to processor businesses for converting into cannabis oil and eventually turning into cannabis-infused products.

Nursery businesses create, grow and sell seeds, immature plants, and other cultivation-related products for use by cultivators.

Entry-Level (No Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Cultivation Assistant: Assist with all aspects of cannabis cultivation operations, from seedling to harvest, including cloning, transplanting, feeding, trimming, pest management, environmental monitoring, harvesting and record-keeping.
• Trimmer: Assist cultivators with trimming of harvested cannabis flower, post-trimming storage and record-keeping. 
• Nursery Assistant: Assist with all aspects of nursery operations, including breeding (seed creation), cloning, transplanting, feeding, pest management, environmental monitoring, harvesting and record-keeping.

Experienced (1-3 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Cultivation Associate: Use prior experience to assist all aspects of cannabis cultivation operations, including cultivation strategy and planning, cloning, transplanting, feeding, trimming, pest management, environmental monitoring, harvesting, and record-keeping.
• Cultivation/Nursery Sales Associate: Use prior experience to assist with wholesale of seeds and seedlings to cultivators, or wholesale of cultivated cannabis to dispensaries for retail sale or to extraction operators for converting cannabis flower material into cannabis oil.
• Nursery Associate: Use prior experience to assist all aspects of nursery operations, including breeding strategy and planning, cloning, transplanting, feeding, pest management, environmental monitoring, and record-keeping.

Highly Skilled (2-6 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Cultivation Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of cannabis cultivation operations, including overall cultivation strategy, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, security, and record-keeping.
• Nursery Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of cannabis nursery operations, including overall nursery and breeding strategy, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, security, and record-keeping.
• Cultivation/Nursery Sales Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of sales and marketing operations of seeds and seedlings for wholesale to cultivators, or wholesale of cultivated cannabis to dispensaries for retail sale or extraction operators for converting cannabis flower material into cannabis oil.

Processors can perform extraction and infusion.

Extraction is the process of converting harvested cannabis flower material into concentrated cannabis oil, which can be used for cannabis vapes or creating cannabis-infused products.

Infusion is the process of using extracted cannabis oil to manufacture cannabis-infused products (edibles, topicals, etc).

Entry-Level (No Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Extraction Assistant: Assist with safely converting cannabis flower material into cannabis oil for inhalation or later infusion into a cannabis-infused product.
• Infusion Assistant: Assist with manufacturing cannabis-infused products. This includes preparation and mixing of raw ingredients, processing/manufacturing steps, intermediate product storage and record-keeping. 
• Packaging Assistant: Assist with filling, labeling, packaging, storage and record-keeping of finished cannabis-infused products.
• Processing Inventory Assistant: Assist with inventory and warehouse management of cannabis oil and infused products.

Experienced (1-3 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Extraction Associate: Use prior experience to assist with safely converting cannabis flower material into cannabis oil for inhalation or later infusion into a cannabis-infused product.
• Infusion Associate: Use prior experience to assist with manufacturing cannabis-infused products. This includes preparation and mixing of raw ingredients, processing/manufacturing steps, intermediate product storage, and record-keeping.
• Packaging Associate: Use prior experience to assist with filling, labeling, packaging, storage, and record-keeping of finished cannabis-infused products.
• Processing Sales Associate: Use prior experience to assist with wholesale of extracted cannabis oil and cannabis-infused products to dispensaries for retail sale or wholesale to manufacturing operators for infusion.
• Processing Inventory Associate: Use prior experience to assist with inventory and warehouse management of cannabis oil and infused products.

Highly Skilled (2-6 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Extraction Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of converting cannabis flower material into cannabis oil. This includes overseeing overall extraction strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, research and development, and record-keeping.
• Infusion Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of manufacturing cannabis-infused products. This includes overseeing overall infusion strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, research and development, and record-keeping.
• Packaging Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of packaging cannabis oil and cannabis-infused product. This includes overseeing overall packaging strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, and record-keeping.
• Processing Inventory Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of inventory and warehouse management of cannabis oil and infused products. This includes overseeing overall inventory strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, and record-keeping.
• Processing Sales Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of sales and marketing operations for wholesale of extracted cannabis oil and cannabis infused products to dispensaries for retail sale, or wholesale to manufacturing operators for infusion.

Dispensaries are responsible for the retail sale of cannabis and cannabis-infused products to consumers.

On-site consumption locations will sell cannabis to consumers for use by those consumers at the on-site consumption locations.

Entry-Level (No Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Dispensary Sales Assistant: Assist with providing service and assistance to customers through sharing of product knowledge, answering questions, and completing retail sales transactions.  
• Dispensary Inventory Assistant: Assist with inventory and storage management of cannabis products.
• On-Site Consumption Assistant: Assist with providing service and assistance to customers through sharing of product knowledge, answering questions, and completing retail sales transactions. 

Experienced (1-3 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Dispensary Sales Associate: Use prior experience to provide service and assistance to customers through sharing of product knowledge, answering questions, and completing retail sales transactions.
• Dispensary Inventory Associate: Use prior experience to assist with inventory and storage management of cannabis products.
• On-Site Consumption Associate: Use prior experience to assist with providing service and assistance to customers through sharing of product knowledge, answering questions, and completing retail sales transactions.

Highly Skilled (2-6 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Dispensary Sales Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of retail operations. This includes leading product and sales strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, and record-keeping.
• Dispensary Inventory Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of inventory operations. This includes leading inventory and storage strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, and record-keeping.
• On-Site Consumption Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of on-site consumption operations. This includes leading hospitality and sales strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, and record-keeping.

Distributors will purchase cannabis and cannabis products from cultivators and processors and then sell and deliver those items to retail dispensaries and on-site consumption sites.

Delivery operators will deliver cannabis and cannabis-infused products from retail dispensaries to consumers.

Entry-Level (No Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Distribution Logistics Assistant: Assist with the logistics of distributing cannabis and cannabis-infused products to retail dispensaries.
• Distribution Inventory Assistant: Assist with the storage and inventory management of cannabis and cannabis-infused products.
• Delivery Assistant: Assist with delivery of cannabis and cannabis-infused products from retail dispensaries to consumers.

Experienced (1-3 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Distribution Logistics Associate: Use prior experience to assist with the logistics of distribution of cannabis and cannabis-infused products. 
• Distribution Inventory Associate: Use prior experience to assist with the storage and inventory management of cannabis and cannabis-infused products.
• Delivery Associate: Use prior experience to assist with delivery of cannabis and cannabis-infused products from retail dispensaries to consumers. 

Highly Skilled (2-6 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Distribution Sales Manager: Use prior experience to supervise and lead all aspects of the sale of cannabis and cannabis-infused products to retail dispensaries. Use prior experience to increase and improve the amount of deliveries, customer interactions, and brand recognition.
• Distribution Logistics Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of distributing cannabis and cannabis-infused products. This includes leading overall logistics and distribution strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, and record-keeping.
• Distribution Inventory Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of inventory and storage of cannabis and cannabis-infused products. This includes leading overall logistics and distribution strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, and record-keeping.
• Delivery Manager: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of delivery operations. This includes leading overall customer experience, delivery strategy, scheduling, compliance with cannabis regulations and labor laws, staffing, security, safety, and record-keeping.

Testing laboratories will complete quality assurance testing of cannabis and cannabis-infused products prior to sale to consumers. 

Sampling firms will perform required sampling of cannabis and cannabis-infused products to be used for quality assurance testing by testing laboratories. 

Entry-Level (No Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Laboratory Assistant: Assist testing operations by accepting samples for testing and ensuring proper sample sizes, testing requirements and turn-around times.
• Sampling Assistant: Assist with test sample collection and delivery to testing laboratories.

Experienced (1-3 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Laboratory Technician: Responsible for culturing, extracting or testing cannabis samples using analytical instrumentation such as solid phase extraction, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry, and polymerase chain reaction.
• Sampling and Transportation Technician: Use prior experience to lead and supervise all aspects of sales and marketing operations for wholesale of extracted cannabis oil and cannabis infused products to dispensaries for retail sale, or wholesale to manufacturing operators for infusion.
• Testing Sales/Marketing Manager: Use prior experience to lead strategies to increase testing activities and improve customer interactions and brand recognition.

Highly Skilled (2-6 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Sampling Director: Directly responsible for overall operation of a cannabis sampling firm, including the supervision of other staff.
• Technical Director: Directly responsible for overall supervision and administration of the technical and scientific operation of a cannabis laboratory, including the supervision of staff.
• Quality Assurance Officer: Responsible for overall administration and oversight of quality control, quality assurance, and quality improvements at testing laboratory.

Like all businesses, the cannabis industry needs various ancillary and support services to thrive, regardless of the operations taking place. Some of these positions will be held by employees of a cannabis business who will not touch cannabis plants or products, and some will be services for hire through independent contractors. 

Entry-Level (No Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Administrative and Clerical: Oversee record-keeping, data entry, office administration and proper routing of customer questions.
• Sanitation/Custodial: Protect employee and public health by ensuring the cleanliness and sanitation of cannabis business facilities.

Experienced (1-3 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• Security/Asset Protection: Ensure the safety and security of customers, employees, facilities, and inventory.
• Equipment Technician: Install, maintain, and repair equipment used across all cannabis business activities.
• Instructor/Trainer: Instruct and train cannabis business operators and employees on best practices, food safety standards, good manufacturing practices, labor standards, safety and security.
• HR: Oversee the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring of new staff, and serve as a link between management and employees
• Payroll: Oversee the process of paying employees. This includes tracking hours worked, calculating pay, and distributing payments.
• HVAC Technician: Install, maintain, and repair HVAC equipment used across all cannabis business activities.
• Construction: Retrofit existing and construct new buildings for cannabis operators.

Highly Skilled (2-6 Years Work Experience or Training/Education)

• IT Manager: Oversee the technology, computer and networking systems within an organization or facility.
• Attorney/Legal/Compliance: Advise companies and employees on cannabis laws, regulations and best practices. 
• Accounting: Oversee company books, financial documents and tax preparation and filing.
• Government Affairs/Policy Analyst: Track, analyze and develop initiatives for regulatory and governmental administration.

Below are template job descriptions for possible positions across the cannabis industry. These job descriptions are being provided for educational and informational purposes only and the Department of Labor is not offering employment or soliciting applications for these positions.