Helps customers at a licensed cannabis dispensary choose products, explains effects and dosing, and completes sales under state rules. BLS does not publish separate figures for retail salespersons; it counts them within retail salesperson (SOC 41-2031), whose median pay is $35,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 41-2031
- Sales and Related
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Budtender in four numbers
- Median pay
- $35,410a year, or $17.03/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $27KTop 10% $48K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.3%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 520,6003,998,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20254M
- Projected 20354M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 4M Projected 2035 4M - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school19.3%
- High school63.5%
- Certificate2%
- Some college1.4%
- Associate's9.8%
- Bachelor's4%
Highest education held by retail salespersons Segment Value Less than high school 19.3% High school 63.5% Certificate 2% Some college 1.4% Associate's 9.8% Bachelor's 4%
Also advertised as: Cannabis Consultant, Dispensary Associate, Dispensary Agent, Cannabis Sales Associate, Patient Care Specialist, Dispensary.
Pay
How much do Retail Salespersons make?
Every budtender in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$35,410
Middle half earn $29,900 to $38,670
- 10th
- $27,210
- 25th
- $29,900
- 75th
- $38,670
- 90th
- $47,890
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,210 |
| 25th | $29,900 |
| Median | $35,410 |
| 75th | $38,670 |
| 90th | $47,890 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $35,410
- Median hourly wage
- $17.03/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $37,310
- People employed
- 3,897,860
Versus all US occupations
At $35,410, Retail Salespersons earn 31% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,570 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $73,220, this is 52% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $47,890 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,210, a gap of 1.8×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 2% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($39,560), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $40,513 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Retail Salespersons the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $39,560 | $36,967 | 84,850 |
| 2District of Columbia | $38,500 | $35,032 | 4,660 |
| 3California | $38,440 | $34,718 | 376,460 |
| 4Colorado | $37,950 | $36,826 | 76,660 |
| 5Hawaii | $37,790 | $34,370 | 19,180 |
| 6New York | $37,720 | $34,951 | 238,540 |
| 7Vermont | $37,400 | $38,180 | 8,250 |
| 8Alaska | $37,290 | $36,431 | 7,890 |
| 9Oregon | $36,770 | $35,574 | 48,090 |
| 10Maine | $36,640 | $37,754 | 18,450 |
Job outlook
Is Budtender a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | −0.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Retail Salespersons to change -0.3% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 14,000 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 520,600 openings are projected each year, 13.0% of the 3,998,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Budtender
Most dispensaries require a high school diploma, customer service or retail experience, and that you be at least twenty-one. States usually require a worker permit or badge, which involves an application, a background check and sometimes a short training course; Oregon's liquor and cannabis commission, for example, issues marijuana worker permits.
Employers train new budtenders on products, state rules and point-of-sale systems. Product knowledge and genuine interest in helping people help you advance to lead budtender, inventory manager, compliance or store manager roles.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as retail salespersons.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)63.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma19.3%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree9.8%
- Bachelor's Degree4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 63.5% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 19.3% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 9.8% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 4% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Budtender do?
Budtenders are the front-line staff of cannabis dispensaries. They greet customers, check identification and medical cards, and ask what customers are looking for, whether that is help with sleep, a particular flavor or a first-time product. They explain differences between strains, edibles, concentrates, vapes and topicals, how quickly each takes effect and how to start with a low dose.
Budtenders also handle the sale, which is tightly regulated: they enforce purchase limits, record transactions in the state tracking system, package products to legal standards and keep cash handling accurate. Between customers they restock displays, help with inventory counts and learn about new products. They cannot give medical advice, so they refer health questions to doctors.
Day-to-day tasks
- Check identification and medical authorization for every customer
- Explain product types, effects and onset times
- Recommend products based on customer preferences
- Enforce state purchase limits
- Complete sales in point-of-sale and state tracking systems
- Restock displays and assist with inventory counts
- Keep up with new products and regulations
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Budtenders work on the sales floor of licensed dispensaries, standing for most of the shift. Retail hours mean evenings, weekends and holidays. Stores have strict security and surveillance, and the pace can be very busy around holidays and weekends.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Writing3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Mathematics2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Writing | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Persuasion3.9
- Service Orientation3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Negotiation3.5
- Coordination3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Instructing2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Persuasion | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Negotiation | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Internet browser software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Budtender?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SEC) built on O*NET's Retail Salesperson profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Budtender |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.1
- Conventional5.2
- Social3.9
- Realistic3.2
- Artistic2.0
- Investigative1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Budtender
O*NET related occupations
- Sales and Related
- Sales and Related
- Sales and Related
Door-to-Door Sales Worker, News and Street Vendor, and Related Worker
$41,380median a year
Most earn $32K to $51K
−10.4%No formal credential - Transportation and Material Moving
- Sales and Related
Demonstrator and Product Promoter
$39,320median a year
Most earn $31K to $64K
+0.2%No formal credential - Sales and Related
First-Line Supervisor of Retail Sales Workers
$48,520median a year
Most earn $33K to $77K
−3.7%High school
More sales and related careers
Median annual pay, with retail salespersons highlighted
- Sales Engineer$124,900
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product$104,920
- Real Estate Broker$73,220
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080
- Insurance Sales Agent$62,280
- Real Estate Agent$52,830
- Travel Agent$50,160
- Budtender$35,410
- Cashier$32,880
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sales Engineer | $124,900 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product | $104,920 |
| Real Estate Broker | $73,220 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 |
| Insurance Sales Agent | $62,280 |
| Real Estate Agent | $52,830 |
| Travel Agent | $50,160 |
| Budtender | $35,410 |
| Cashier | $32,880 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Budtender appears on
Questions
Budtender: frequently asked questions
How much do Retail Salespersons make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for retail salespersons. It counts them within retail salesperson, whose median pay is $35,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $29,900 and $38,670, and the top 10% earn $47,890 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Budtender?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Retail Salespersons, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 63.5% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Budtender a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.3% over 2025–2035, a loss of 14,000 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 520,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Budtender do?
Budtenders are the front-line staff of cannabis dispensaries. A typical task: check identification and medical authorization for every customer. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Customer relationship management CRM software.
Which states pay Retail Salespersons the most?
The highest state medians for Retail Salespersons are Washington ($39,560), District of Columbia ($38,500), California ($38,440) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $40,513.
What personality type suits a Budtender?
O*NET scores Retail Salespersons highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.