Master Grower Salary and Requirements
Master Grower Salary
If you want to get a job as a master grower at a commercial cannabis facility, our guide on the master grower job salary and requirements can help. In today’s cannabis industry, anyone can work their way up the cultivation segment from a bud trimmer or a grower’s assistant toward a supervisor role, and eventually the master grower title.
What Is a Master Grower?
Master marijuana growers are in charge of running the day-to-day operations of a large-scale indoor or outdoor cannabis growing facility. Head growers are responsible for every aspect of the plant production cycle. From the start, they must know how to breed and plant new and established types of strains, also known as cultivars, from seeds or clones.
As the cannabis plants grow from young seedlings to mature plants, master growers must ensure that the crop is properly maintained to avoid diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and other production issues. Head growers must delegate cultivation tasks to supervisors, assistant growers, and trimmers.
Overall, head growers must be knowledgeable and experienced in every part of the cannabis cultivation process and know how to troubleshoot different production challenges. Cannabis companies are looking to hire growers with several years of experience managing a cultivation site and using different cultivation techniques.
In some cases, master growers must have a hand in setting up the cultivation site, ordering equipment, establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs), as well as hiring and training the staff from the ground up.
Master Grower Job Responsibilities
As the manager of a cannabis cultivation facility, you must be an expert of the cannabis industry and understand how the supply chain works. You must also have several years of experience working or managing a commercial cultivation facility. Head growers must report to a general manager or director of cultivation.
This cultivation position requires a lot of physical and repetitive work. Common master grower job requirements include the following:
- Hire and train employees
- Lead a staff of growers in every aspect of the cultivation process
- Continuously improve the cultivation process to increase yields and quality of the crop
- Develop standard operating procedures for every part of the production process
- Ensure the team is performing daily tasks based on SOPs for optimum plant care
- Ensure the team is following SOPs and state and local regulations
- Manage all tasks of the cultivation process including the following:
- Transplanting
- Cloning
- Feeding
- Watering
- Pest management
- Trimming
- Drying
- Curing
- Packaging
- Waste disposal
- Inventory management
- Ensure the facility is clean and organized
- Develop new cultivars
- Analyze the cultivation data to improve production and quality of yield
Master Grower Qualifications
The qualifications to become a master grower at a cultivation facility vary by company and location. Generally, they need experience working at a greenhouse or indoor facility. In addition, they need experience in management and leadership positions.
Common head grower qualifications include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in horticulture or equivalent science field (preferred)
- 10+ years of experience in growing high-quality cannabis flower
- 3-5 years of commercial agriculture or horticulture experience
- Experience and knowledge of commercial cannabis plant cultivation
- Strong work ethic and a positive attitude
- Strong understanding of plant nutrition and growth
- Experience managing a staff of growers
- Strong computer skills
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Knowledgeable about the latest cannabis plant cultivation techniques and new cultivars
- Must pass a background check
- May require an occupational license (depends on state laws)
- Must be at least 21 years of age
Master Grower Salary
Since head growers are responsible for running an entire commercial cannabis operation, their salary reflects the hard work and long hours involved. Head grower salaries depend on the grower’s experience, the company, and the location.
Salary Range: $60,000 to $150,000 a year
In some cases, cultivation managers can earn lower or higher than the listed salary range above. On average, a master grower can make about $80,000 a year. However, these numbers vary by region and experience.
In addition to the base pay of a master grower salary, head growers can get paid a bonus and receive numerous job benefits.
Master Grower Job Benefits
Cannabis cultivation managers can earn a generous base salary. In addition, they may receive a wide range of job benefits. Job benefits vary by location, company, and job experience.
Some of the most commonly offered job benefits for head growers include the following:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Find a Master Grower Job at Marijuana Job Finder
Ready to start your journey toward an exciting and fulfilling career in cannabis cultivation? Do you want to work your way up from entry-level grower to head of cultivation? To land a master grower job begin with online cannabis training from the leading marijuana college, CTU. Once you earn your cannabis certifications from Cannabis Training University you can apply for Master Grower Jobs here and attach your CTU certificate with your marijuana resume.
If you have the skills, experience, and education to become a cannabis grower, you can land one of many entry-level cultivation jobs. An entry-level cannabis job such as a trimmer or even budtender can eventually lead toward a higher-paying job such as a master grower.
For those who already have experience working in a commercial facility, the road to becoming a head grower is clear. If you have several years of experience managing a large-scale cultivation facility in or outside of the cannabis industry, you can find many master grower jobs at Marijuana Job Finder.