Report: Cannabis Jobs Grew 100% Over Last 4 Years

According to Leafly’s 2020 Jobs Report, the industry supports about 243,700 full-time-equivalent as of early 2020. Over the last four years the industry has created nearly 121,000 full-time jobs – doubling in size and representing a 100 percent growth rate, the report says.

“The industry’s growth is especially eye-opening when compared to other occupations. Massachusetts now has more legal cannabis workers than hair stylists and cosmetologists. Nevada has as many cannabis workers as bartenders. Illinois has twice as many cannabis workers as meat packers.” – Leafly Jobs Report 2020

According to the report, from 2018 to 2028 cannabis industry jobs are expected to grow by 250 percent, outpacing nurse practitioners (28 percent), statisticians (31 percent), information security analysts (32 percent), occupational therapists (33 percent), personal care aides (36 percent), home health aides (37 percent), wind turbine service techs (57 percent), and solar photovoltaic installers (63 percent).

The report notes that the industry saw a slowed 15 percent year-over-year growth, but legal states saw a 62 percent increase in cannabis jobs from 2018 to 2019.

Last year, California had 39,804 cannabis employees – the most in the nation – followed by Colorado (34,705), Washington state (23,756), Oregon (18,274), Florida (15,498), Arizona (15,059), Nevada (14,305), Massachusetts (13,255), Oklahoma (9,412), and Illinois (9,176).

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which is the standard used by federal statistics agencies when classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistics related to the U.S. business economy, does recognize that cannabis jobs exist, but does not give cannabis jobs their own classification; instead, it includes them with “Miscellaneous Store Retailers” under code 453998, which includes art supply stores, auction houses, candle shops, florists, and hot tub stores, and “Miscellaneous Crop Farming” under code 111998, which includes hay and grass seed, hops, mint, and agave.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not count cannabis jobs.