The Top Oregon Cannabis Jobs

Oregon cannabis jobs are on fire. The Beaver State continues to break sales records on the West Coast. Its strong growth is a great sign for job seekers.

The state’s market has a variety of open jobs in entry-level and advanced work. Work directly in the field or on the retail floor. There’s plenty of choices in this thriving industry.

Industry Snapshot: Oregon

Oregon’s weed market boasts some of the finest weed around. It’s tight rules ensure consumers buy some of the country’s most pure pot. That's what keeps them coming back for more.

The total cannabis sales for 2023 were approximately $953 million. Oregon's cannabis industry employed approximately 20,000 people. This includes jobs directly related to cannabis production, processing, and retail, as well as ancillary roles supporting the industry.

Growth in states like Oregon could give momentum to the legal weed movement, which would bring in more tax revenue and jobs.

The state’s job numbers don't even include its hemp market. Hemp is quickly gaining steam. Growing has increased from 584 farmers in 2018 to 1,957 in 2023.

Hemp processors grew from 212 to 573 during the same time period. Oregon’s hemp farms are seeing a positive upward trend.

Requirements to Work in the Industry

If you want to work in Oregon’s weed industry, you must be at least 21 years old. All pot workers must get a Marijuana Worker Permit from the OLCC’s website.

Choose from job segments including producer, processor, wholesaler, or retailer. Applicants must pass a test with at least a score of 70 percent.

The OLCC website has educational materials in English and Spanish for review. After review, you can register online to take the worker permit test. If you pass, you’ll get a certificate of completion with a certificate number. You’ll need to upload this to your application along with your photo ID.

You’ll get an email letting you know if your application has met the background check requirements. A permit fee of $100 applies. Applicants can pay online with a credit or debit card.

After submitting your payment, you can print your permit and start applying for weed jobs in Oregon. An OLCC worker’s permit is valid for five years before it needs to be renewed.

Dispensary Jobs

Oregon's pot shops provide medical and adult-use shoppers with a range of therapeutic products. Entry-level jobs include budtenders and inventory specialists.

Each job works together to improve the customer experience and store's sales. Retail stores prefer applicants with previous retail and customer service experience.

Budtender

Medical and recreational dispensaries rely on friendly and knowledgeable budtenders to facilitate a customer's shopping experience. Budtenders may have to check patient IDs, update live menus, and keep the store well-stocked, clean, and organized.

Above all, they are educators who can zero in on the right cannabis product for the patient or recreational user.

Budtenders must have previous cash handling and POS experience to process transactions and track the transactions for regulatory compliance.

Inventory Specialist

Inventory specialists are in charge of ensuring the retailer is well stocked up front and in the back.  The inventory associates move products from the back storage to the front.

They must display the products in a visually appealing way to increase sales. Inventory specialists may need to prepare work orders for new products from their vendors.

Security Guard

Security guards protect the people inside the store and its inventory. As a security guard, you’ll be monitoring the store for suspicious activity.

Security guards regularly walk the perimeter and check camera systems. CPR and first aid experience are usually required. Prior security experience is preferred.

Administrative Assistant

A store's administrative assistant goes by many names. Their main function is to be a gatekeeper for the store. As an assistant, you’ll field calls and welcome guests. You’ll check their IDs and verify their documentation. Administrative assistants are the first impression a customer gets of the store.

Farm Jobs

Oregon’s farm jobs are plentiful. There’s always a need for help in indoor, greenhouse, and outdoor farms.

Whether you’re farming hemp or weed, head growers need help watering, feeding, defoliating, and harvesting the plant. Entry-level farm jobs can be a great start toward higher-paying farm jobs.

Weed Trimmer

In today's market, cannabis trimming is a year-round activity, not just reserved for the fall. Trimmers work at a cultivation facility cutting the stems and leaves from flower buds and performing other harvesting tasks such as drying and curing the flowers.

Trimmers need to cut buds based on company standards. Trimming requires repetitive and precise movements to remove the foliage from the buds. Some trimming jobs may require workers to roll and package pre-rolls.

Previous experience is not required but it helps to have cannabis industry knowledge and skills such as attention to detail and an ability to perform repetitive hand movements for long periods of time

Grower’s Assistant

Grower's assistants can take on a variety of farm duties. Assistants may be responsible for the daily monitoring of plants for pests and quality.

Entry-level farm assistants help out from the start to the end of the plant’s life cycle. Assistants must be knowledgeable about growing techniques, especially for large-scale farms.

Cultivation assistants do not require much experience but it can help to understand the industry and have understanding of essential cultivation techniques and plant management systems.

Cannabis Head Growers

Cannabis growers are the lifeblood of the industry. Most cannabis growing in Oregon happens indoors but some still occurs outdoors or in greenhouses.

Cannabis growers range from entry-level cultivation assistants who take care of day-to-day plant care activities to head growers who oversee the entire operation.

Head growers, require several years of commercial cultivation management experience and a degree in a related science field such as botany or agriculture.

Processing Jobs

Weed processors in Oregon convert the raw plant into a range of infused products. With a growing hemp market, the state's processors are scaling inside and outside the state.

These jobs include anyone that deals with formulating, producing, and packaging products derived from pot or hemp.

Processing Specialist

Processing specialists must have incredible attention to detail when filling, labeling, and sealing weed products. Packagers work with edible, concentrate, and dried flower products. Proper packaging is essential to remaining compliant with state laws.

As a packager, you may need to document inventory. You must keep your work area clean and organized.

Extraction Technician

Extraction technicians turn dried weed into a translucent crude oil. This weed oil can be infused into a variety of products.

These include edibles, capsules, topicals, tinctures, and more. As an extraction technician, you’ll work with lab-grade equipment and flammable solvents. Prior lab experience is preferred.

Ancillary Jobs

Pot ancillary jobs don’t directly deal with the plant. Instead, they provide a wide range of supplementary business services. Most weed companies outsource certain services to independent businesses. No matter what your job skills are, there’s bound to be a pot job for you. Here are just a few of the many ancillary jobs available in weed:

• Marketing
• Accounting
• Consulting
• Real Estate
• Security
• Insurance
• Legal

Oregon Cannabis College

Oregon’s pot market is one of the most robust in the nation. Get in on the action with the right weed education. CTU offers a comprehensive online training program that offers everything from a marijuana 101 online class for beginners to cannabis cultivation. CTU is the nation’s most renowned pot college and is proudly accredited by IACET. Learn from the best in the business by signing up today.

Fred Hernandez

Fred Hernandez is a highly accomplished and versatile writer, boasting an extensive background in the cannabis industry. With an in-depth understanding of various sectors including cultivators, processors, retailers, and brands, Fred's expertise spans across the entire cannabis landscape. As a prominent contributor to CTU, he consistently delivers insightful articles exploring the latest developments, news, and regulations shaping the cannabis industry. Whether it's delving into the intricacies of cannabis products, cannabis strain reviews, or providing comprehensive analyses of cannabis laws, or sharing expert insights on cannabis cultivation techniques, Fred's wealth of knowledge positions him as an invaluable writer and educator for all cannabis-related subjects.