By: Madeleine Balestrier
What is a Budtender?
According to Merriam-Webster, the word ‘budtender’ evolved in 1997 when California legalized medical marijuana from the combination of bud and bartender.
A budtender is the sales associate who walks you through the cannabis process when you visit a dispensary. They are there to be a knowledgeable guide for you to find the cannabis products that best suit your needs and wants.
While bartenders often need licensing or even mixology training, budtenders don’t necessarily need any additional certification to join the industry at this point. Although the more experience and training the better, no matter the profession.
RELATED: Marijuana Industry Jobs Are Easy To Find Using This Platform
How to Find Budtender Jobs
As the industry continues to gain traction, so do websites and job boards with listings on how you can find budtender positions
Ms. Mary Staffing
This job resource website “can also help you because we work with many of the hottest employers in the cannabis industry. They trust us to give them the best employees, and we can put your name in their ear if you have the right skills.”
420 Jobs Board
420 Jobs Board gets right to the point with a customizable career search based on the desired position and location. You can also set up job alerts and take advantage of their ‘quick apply’ option.
HempStaff
HempStaff works as a recruiting website that directly links employees and employers for several cannabis professions. You send in your resume, and they will help you connect with potential job opportunities.
Beyond just cannabis sites, Ziprecruiter and Indeed are also reputable job search engines to find your dream budtender gig.
RELATED: I’m A Mom & Business Owner Who Uses Cannabis For Health & Wellness
Budtender Training and Certification
The cannabis industry is rapidly growing, and that means there will not only be more positions, but also more competition and expectations.
So how can you set yourself apart from other aspiring budtenders? Consider pursuing a budtender training online from reputable sources.
Budtender certification classes are a series of lessons that can provide students with knowledge on medical marijuana, dosing limitations, chemistry and a number of other useful skills. These courses usually average around $250 per person.
It’s important to do your research on certification and training courses because they are not all created equal and there is not a national certification standard established – at least not yet.
Pro tip: When looking for a class to pursue, look to see if the company provides proof of graduate success rate.
Although not all dispensaries require budtender training. Sometimes the best way to gain experience is by working for a dispensary in another capacity and working your way up by showing initiative.
Budtender Salary
A budtender’s salary depends on a variety of factors, including experience, local, state and federal laws and cost of living.
Depending on these factors, budtenders stand to make anywhere from $12 to $18 an hour. According to Indeed, marijuana budtenders across the United States make $12.57 on average. Budtenders are typically paid by the hour, and usually receive additional tips.
On average, Seattle, Washington offers the highest paying budtender salary by city, while Illinois, New York and California are the highest paying states. New York budtenders make 25 percent more than the national average.
Budtender Resume and Cover Letter
So you’ve found the budtender job of your dreams, but now you need to catch the hiring manager’s attention with a quality resume and cover letter. Here are some tips and a budtender resume example:
Showcase customer service experience
The work that defines a budtender begins and ends with the customer and their experience. Even if you don’t have dispensary experience, employers want to see that you have experience working with people.
Don’t forget to include your education
This is the perfect place on your budtender resume to highlight any additional training you have acquired in the cannabis sector. College and high school graduates are also both attractive budtender candidates.
Highlight any relevant skills
When you’re reading a job posting, be sure to match your skills with some of their desired qualifications and include it on your resume. Teamwork, product knowledge, communication and problem-solving skills are all attractive qualities within the cannabis sector. This section is an ideal way to connect your resume and cover letter too.
Go the distance with a cover letter
Go the distance and add a budtender cover letter to your application because most applicants will choose to forgo that extra step, and it’s a great way for employers to get to know you beyond just bullet points on a resume.
Pro tip: Always follow-up after applications and interviews.
How to Become a Budtender
Before you submit your application, here’s some more advice from people on Reddit about how to become a budtender:
“Once I managed to get an interview the next day they asked me questions that are weed-related (for example: what do you know about marijuana, do you use marijuana personally and if so what do you think, etc.). If you answer truthfully while also knowing a fair amount about weed, weed products and customer service you should have no problem acing a job as a budtender.”
“Anyhow – how do you get hired? My biggest tip is to be extremely professional and knowledgeable. Try a few different processors in your area: edibles, topicals and concentrates so when you come into an interview you’re versed in what you’ll be selling to the customer.
“Warning: Most stores aren’t interested in people with too ‘laid back’ a vibe, they’re trying to get the general public to come into their store so they want someone that is relatable, open and good at sales.”
“I always start with something personal about the dispensary/marijuana (I was here the day you opened to my aunt is cancer-free because of this dispensary), any relevant skills to the position, how I have made change/increased sales in the past, end by revisiting that personal story about the dispensary/marijuana experience.”
“I do the hiring for my shop. A few tips, proofread your letter/resume, our industry is highly regulated, if you can’t take the time to make sure your spelling is correct then you might slack on other areas that could get me shutdown. Don’t list your only qualification as ‘I’ve liked weed for years!’ Tell me about your passion/how it helped you personally. Learn about terpenes and all the cannabinoids and be able to speak to that. Sales experience is a plus also.”
RELATED: 3 Cannabis Podcasts Run By Women That Are Seriously Worth Listening To
Madeleine Balestrier is a writer who covers cannabis culture and new trends in the cannabis community.