Canadian Cannabis Salary Guide 2022
A word from Meta Talent Group
MTG provides executive search and recruitment services for growing companies and purpose-driven individuals seeking to improve the world socially and environmentally in cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics.

FEDERAL LEGALIZATION
2018
- June 2018: Saskatchewan announces 51 retail license winners
- October 2018: Cannabis Act is passed
- 100+ operational retail stores open
2019
- July 2019: Cannabis sales surpass S100M+
- October: 2019 Legalization 2.0 MIPs/Edibles become legal
- 500+ operational retail stores opened in the year
- Cannabis is deemed essential in the COVID Pandemic
- Average monthly cannabis retail sales hit $200M+
- Exponential growth trajectory with $600M+ projected average monthly cannabis retail sales by 2026

SOCIAL IMPACT:
- Marijuana use has grown from 22% in 2017 to 27% in 2020. (Government of Canada)
- Police-reported cannabis criminal incidents amongst youth has dropped by 55-65%. (UNBC)
- Of all impaired driving charges, drug-impaired events only account for 11% across CA in 2019. (MADD)
INDUSTRY IMPACT:
- Retail sales were $2.6B+ in 2020, a 120% increase from 2019. (Statistics Canada)
- Retail cannabis stores have gone from 158 in Nov. 2018 to 1,792 in April 2021. (Myran, D&A Review)
- 84% of Directors and Executives are white and 86% are male. (Akwasi Owusu-Bempah)
VARIANCE BY PROVINCE
- Salaries vary from province to province. Below is a snapshot of Cost of Living Index by large cities, and this information can be used to estimate the adjusted average salary in each province.
- The graphic (bottom right) shows a comparison for a single person versus a family of four.
- For example, a Retail Manager has an average base salary of $55,000. If the position is based in Montreal you can assume a lower salary, closer to $50,000, but if it’s located in Halifax you can assume closer to the $60,000 range.
- As a single individual you should expect to see a 30-35% lower cost of living compared to a family of four relocating to a new city/province.
CfN Cost of Living Index
- Halifax, NS
- 75.07
- Saskatoon, SK
- 75.01
- Ottawa, ON
- 74.97
- Toronto, ON
- 74.86
- Vancouver, BC
- 74.39
- Edmonton, AB
- 74.34
- Calgary, AB
- 73.95
- Winnipeg, MB
- 71.99
- Kelowna, BC
- 71.5
- Montreal, QC
- 70.0

Salary Guide Review
The salaries presented in this guide are based on 10,000+ data points compiled from 2021 sources including:
- Private and public company job boards
- Meta Talent Group’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Public job boards (LinkedIn & CA Indeed)
- Salary information extracted from candidate interviews
- Searches with our partners

Base Salaries
LOW: 10% of the industry workforce are paid below this figure
AVERAGE: This represents the industry average
HIGH: 10% of the industry workforce are paid above this figure
Salaries may be affected by other factors including, but not limited to:
- Benefits
- Bonuses
- Company Size
- Education & Certifications
- Equity or Profit Sharing
- Location
- Specialized Skill-Sets
Accounting / finance & IT

ADMIN/HR & COMPLIANCE

CULTIVATION & Laboratory
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Marketing & Sales
OPERATIONS & SCL
Brief Job Descriptions
Administrative Assistant
Supports an organization or department by performing administrative services. Requires a high school diploma with 1-2 years of experience preferred.
Director of Talent
Develops, implements and manages a recruiting strategy aimed at attracting the top talent across the globe. Requires a bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of experience.
Executive Assistant
Aids executive in staff capacity by handling a wide variety of situations involving the admin functions of the office that cannot be brought to the attention of the executive. Gatekeeper to the C-Suite team. Requires an associate’s degree or its equivalent with 3+ years of experience.
Human Resources Generalist
Analyzes HR data and carries out responsibilities in staffing, employee relations, training compensation, employment, labor relations, safety, affirmative action, employment equity programs, etc. Requires a bachelor’s degree and 1-2 years of experience.
Marketing Manager
Manages the promotion and direction of the marketing or service activities, improvement of company’s product image, market data and information. Requires a bachelor’s degree with 3+ years of experience.
Project Manager
Manages, plans and organizes activities of projects to ensure that goals or objectives of projects are accomplished within prescribed time frame and funding parameters. Requires a bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of experience.
Recruiter
Recruits, interviews, checks references, makes offers and conducts orientation for new employees. Requires a bachelor’s degree in area of specialty and 1-3 years of experience.
Retail Manager
Manage all aspects of the store, including: personnel, product, merchandising, SOPs, training & education. Work with leadership team to drive sales and increase brand awareness. Requires 3+ years of experience.
Sales Director
Directs and oversees an organization’s sales policies, objectives and initiatives to drive revenues. Create presentations and proposals. Requires a bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of experience.
Security Manager
Manage and maintain security measures, perform site inspections, and assist all security audits. Work with leadership team to develop a Security Plan. Requires 4+ years of experience in a similar position.
Supply Chain Director
Directs an organization’s overall global supply chain operations, including purchasing and inventory, selection of vendors and distribution of finished goods. Requires 5+ years of experience.
Vice President of Finance
Develop and implement strategies, plans and processes to improve profitability and cost efficiencies. Requires a bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of experience.
META TALENT IN REVIEW
MTIP
META TALENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
A national internship program for the nascent industries of cannabis, hemp & psychedelics.
WHY?
The program was launched in 2020 to help bridge the entry-level employment gap that currently exists.
WHAT?
The program is designed to connect students from accredited universities with forward-thinking companies that place a high value on their employees and retention rates.
WHO?
The candidate has an opportunity to work in a nascent, alternative industry to help determine if the fast-paced environment is right for them.
The company receives access to pre-screened internship candidates and has the opportunity to “try before you buy” in terms of working with the candidate before hiring them full-time, increasing overall retention rates.
MTG builds a pool of internship and entry-level candidates with industry experience.
Diversity of hires made by Meta Talent Group in 2021:
- Over 70% Female
- Over 20% BIPOC
MTG’s Retention Program:
Retention bonuses are paid by MTG to placed candidates after 1 year of employment