Master Growers Average Hourly Wage?

[chrometrichs]

What is a reasonable average hourly wage for a grower who designs, plans, builds and maintains every aspect of a commercial garden? Someone who also brings quality genetics, years of experience and connections.

 

[Papa]

"hourly wage" suggests that you're talking about an employee, and i would think that an employee with the skills and abilities you listed would be on salary and not paid by the hour.

however, if i were to hire an independent contractor to design, build, and maintain a garden to my standards i would expect to pay at least $200/hour and perhaps quite a bit more if they were bringing experience that i specifically valued.

i wouldn't expect genetics to be a part of that package unless i had them on the job for more than a few months.

 

[TreFarmer]

"hourly wage" suggests that you're talking about an employee, and i would think that an employee with the skills and abilities you listed would be on salary and not paid by the hour.

however, if i were to hire an independent contractor to design, build, and maintain a garden to my standards i would expect to pay at least $200/hour and perhaps quite a bit more if they were bringing experience that i specifically valued.

i wouldn't expect genetics to be a part of that package unless i had them on the job for more than a few months.

DAMN!!
You need a new apprentice?;) lol
I hear ya, a quality good sidekick/employee with skills to meet or surpass our own is pretty difficult.. and I can only imagine on the scale some might be talking about would be nearly impossible.

 

[ttystikk]

The problem with this whole line of thinking is that anyone with the skills you'd want and need to run your operation would already be running their own and would therefore be reluctant to go back to being an hourly wage slave.

Unless, of course, they just got out of jail or screwed up their own crop, in which case are you sure you would you hire them?

 

[OctoberDee]

The problem with this whole line of thinking is that anyone with the skills you'd want and need to run your operation would already be running their own and would therefore be reluctant to go back to being an hourly wage slave.

Unless, of course, they just got out of jail or screwed up their own crop, in which case are you sure you would you hire them?

Second that.. hard to find good honest help...

 

[datDANK]

half

 

[SonOfDaMourning]

the remedy to that is to get someone from a non legal state. the freedom to grow and instant financial support should entice many to to move out of state and work for someone else. only thing you must expect that this person will one day move on, dont feel bad for its a 2way street, anyone who cannot be used is useless.

 

[PorchMonkey4Life]

half for partners or 30% if you could not pay for the build investment and the investor will not be doing anything and your just a payed stooge that has to do this kinda work to get enough cash for a few crops to get enough dough to get your own grow Capital......still i rather do a few basment grows of 6-8k for my self in some dump for capital then be a warehouse monkey on a 30 k grow..

If your broke do the job for enough to do your own thing then turn into a ghost

 

[AzGrOw-N-sMoKe]

In a profession that's constintly evolveing the term " master grower" should be clearly defined... Az

 

[PorchMonkey4Life]

In a profession that's constintly evolveing the term " master grower" should be clearly defined... Az

Master growers In his terms im thinking is the headwarehouse monkey while someone else is paying for equip build and bills....and comes to collect his stash during chop

 

[AzGrOw-N-sMoKe]

If this was the case I wouldn't think more then 20-30 an hour.... an you'd have to have one monster grow to afford to pay anyone that to work full time week after week, in this regard id be worried of feds as it would prolly be bringing lots of attention... I think the poster may be looking for what would be considerd a partnership where each party would receive a % of the bottemline... Az

 

[mrduke]

i really doubt it would work out financailly to hire a hourly employee. Lets see if you were to have sat a 20k grow opp. first you have rent based on a three month crop/turn over, at somewheres around 1000- 1200. then you'll have power bills of atleast 2000 but more likely about 4k once all the AC and other equipment is added in. then to the top of tht you add nutes at some where in the 1000 dollar range unless you go AN then 5 times that. So your looking at in three months ,.,,.,

3000k rent
8000k power
1000k nutes
-----------
12000$ bucks in supplies and power then youll have to come up with lights and soil/hydro equipt. for another 10-15G's

now add an employee making 30$ hour @ 1200 aweek for 12 weeks is 14,400 so you have
12000 supplies
14400 wages
?? equipment
-----
sets you up with a 26000 hole you need to recoupe to break even.
@ 3k a # you need 10 to get even so at 1 per light youll have 10# of profit seems like a huge risk for such a small reward

 

[Surfr]

I'm guessing this is a question for a legal Colorado grow??

 

[chrometrichs]

^^^^^ Yes Surfr, what are the average salaries in Colorado of people who are running commercial medical grows?

 

[squiggly]

As soon as I'm done with my chemistry degree [Soon(tm) ] I would run and jump at the opportunity to leave my (non-med) state to grow legally. I'd do it for much less than 200/hr if we're talking 40hrs a week. Somewhere in the 50-70 range depending on cost of living in your locale would earn you the rights to call me "Bitchy McBitchingtonsdale".

You guys might not have heard, but we're in an employment crisis. There are any number of people with advanced degrees, ability to learn, and interest in the same who would absolutely drool over compensation like that.

@ about 30 an hour I'd do it--but you can't call me any names and I probably won't be staying there forever (maybe 2-3 years).

 

[Capulator]

Sounds like a stressful situation. I for one woudl not want to hire just anyone to take care of an entire grow. When you think abotu how much is on the line in every aspect...

CT I know you know what you are doing, so if you are being asked this then maybe a better idea ... you should ask for a % of the final weight. After all, it will all be riding on yoru shoulders.

If its a salary I would take no less than 8k a month depending on the scope of the project. You should also estimate the yield, and ask for a bonus on anythign above that yield.

 

[singingcrow]

I agree with a minimum of $25-35 per hour. I am up for bitchdom myself. Anyone need a master farmer (organic,hydro,indoors) for $30 an hour? SoCal area.

Sorry I hijacked your thread. To make it up to you, one more idea: a non-profit's employee, the master grower, would be a contractor, I-9, and is getting paid for service. No workers comp insurance needed, no unemployment insurance. That is why contracting work sometimes pays better and is worth more. Whatever a master horticulturist is paid in your area (go to monster.com or such and run a career pay check for your area) is probably the equivalent to a master MJ farmer in terms of knowledge, actual experience and understanding of genetics.