Leads a licensed cannabis grow, deciding genetics, lighting, nutrients and climate, and managing the team that turns plants into harvest-ready product. BLS does not publish separate figures for first-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers; it counts them within first-line supervisor of farming, fishing, and forestry workers (SOC 45-1011), whose median pay is $59,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 45-1011
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Cannabis Cultivation Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $59,320a year, or $28.52/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $39KTop 10% $92K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.8%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,20057,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202557.6K
- Projected 203559.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 57.6K Projected 2035 59.8K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school9.7%
- High school31.5%
- Certificate13.7%
- Some college6.1%
- Associate's4.1%
- Bachelor's32.9%
Highest education held by first-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers Segment Value Less than high school 9.7% High school 31.5% Certificate 13.7% Some college 6.1% Associate's 4.1% Bachelor's 32.9%
Also advertised as: Master Grower, Cannabis Cultivation Manager, Director of Cultivation, Cannabis Grow Manager.
Pay
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers make?
Every cannabis cultivation director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$59,320
Middle half earn $46,670 to $75,290
- 10th
- $38,990
- 25th
- $46,670
- 75th
- $75,290
- 90th
- $91,770
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $38,990 |
| 25th | $46,670 |
| Median | $59,320 |
| 75th | $75,290 |
| 90th | $91,770 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $59,320
- Median hourly wage
- $28.52/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $62,730
- People employed
- 27,960
Versus all US occupations
At $59,320, First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers earn 16% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $8,340 a year.
Versus farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
Inside the Farming, Fishing, and Forestry group, where the middle occupation pays $45,005, this is 32% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $91,770 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,990, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 32% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Minnesota pays the most at $81,480, and still leads at $82,619 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Minnesota | $81,480 | $82,619 | 230 |
| 2Indiana | $75,460 | $80,854 | 220 |
| 3New Hampshire | $74,420 | $71,444 | 40 |
| 4Georgia | $70,560 | $73,276 | 770 |
| 5Idaho | $69,360 | $72,633 | 530 |
| 6Vermont | $68,630 | $70,061 | 40 |
| 7Delaware | $66,550 | $66,678 | 70 |
| 8New York | $66,460 | $61,582 | 520 |
| 9Washington | $66,200 | $61,862 | 1,220 |
| 10Colorado | $66,030 | $64,074 | 640 |
Job outlook
Is Cannabis Cultivation Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | +3.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers to change 3.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,200 openings are projected each year, 12.5% of the 57,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Cannabis Cultivation Director
Many cultivation directors have years of hands-on growing experience, often starting as cultivation technicians and working up. A degree in horticulture, plant science or agronomy is increasingly common and helps with integrated pest management and data-driven growing. Experience from commercial greenhouses or vertical farms transfers well.
State regulators, such as California's Department of Cannabis Control, license cultivation sites and set rules on pesticides, tracking and waste. A demonstrated record of consistent quality and yield at scale is what employers look for most.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some 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 first-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers.
- Bachelor's Degree32.9%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)31.5%
- Post-Secondary Certificate13.7%
- Less than a High School Diploma9.7%
- Some College Courses6.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 32.9% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 31.5% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 13.7% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 9.7% |
| Some College Courses | 6.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Cannabis Cultivation Director do?
Cannabis cultivation directors run the growing operation at a licensed facility, usually an indoor or greenhouse grow. They choose which strains to grow, plan the planting calendar, and set the recipes for lighting, irrigation, nutrients, temperature and humidity at every growth stage. They watch closely for pests, mold and nutrient problems, because a single outbreak can destroy a room's harvest.
They also manage people and budgets. Directors hire and train growers and trimmers, schedule harvests, track yields and costs per gram, and make sure every plant is logged in the state's seed-to-sale tracking system. They work with compliance staff on pesticide and testing rules and with sales teams on which products the market wants.
Day-to-day tasks
- Select genetics and plan the cultivation calendar
- Set lighting, irrigation, nutrient and climate recipes
- Run integrated pest management programs
- Hire, train and schedule cultivation staff
- Track yields, quality and production costs
- Ensure plants are logged in state tracking systems
- Coordinate harvests with processing and compliance teams
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Directors work at licensed indoor grows and greenhouses, moving between grow rooms, offices and processing areas. Grow rooms are warm and humid, with bright lights and protective gear for pest control. Plants don't take weekends off, so on-call duty and long days during harvest are common.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
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
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Speaking3.6
- Monitoring3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Active Listening3.4
- Learning Strategies3.3
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 |
| Active Listening | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.8
- Time Management3.5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4
- Instructing3.4
- Operations Monitoring3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.5 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.5 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.4 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Expert system software
- Internet browser software
“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 Cannabis Cultivation Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIE) built on O*NET's First-Line Supervisor of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Cannabis Cultivation Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| 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 hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Enterprising6.0
- Realistic5.7
- Conventional4.6
- Investigative3.2
- Social2.9
- Artistic1.0
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 Cannabis Cultivation Director
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More farming, fishing, and forestry careers
Median annual pay, with first-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers highlighted
- First-Line Supervisor of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$59,320
- Cannabis Cultivation Director$59,320
- Faller$52,100
- Animal Breeder$51,130
- Agricultural Inspector$49,940
- Logging Equipment Operator$49,740
- Log Grader and Scaler$46,330
- Agricultural Equipment Operator$41,730
- Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$35,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisor of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | $59,320 |
| Cannabis Cultivation Director | $59,320 |
| Faller | $52,100 |
| Animal Breeder | $51,130 |
| Agricultural Inspector | $49,940 |
| Logging Equipment Operator | $49,740 |
| Log Grader and Scaler | $46,330 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operator | $41,730 |
| Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Cannabis Cultivation Director appears on
Questions
Cannabis Cultivation Director: frequently asked questions
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for first-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers. It counts them within first-line supervisor of farming, fishing, and forestry workers, whose median pay is $59,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $46,670 and $75,290, and the top 10% earn $91,770 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cannabis Cultivation Director?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 32.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Cannabis Cultivation Director a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.8% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cannabis Cultivation Director do?
Cannabis cultivation directors run the growing operation at a licensed facility, usually an indoor or greenhouse grow. A typical task: select genetics and plan the cultivation calendar. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers the most?
The highest state medians for First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers are Minnesota ($81,480), Indiana ($75,460), New Hampshire ($74,420) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Cannabis Cultivation Director?
O*NET scores First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers highest on the Enterprising, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.