Hourly workers in the marijuana industry rank at the top of the list of “happiest” employees across multiple sectors—with more than 9 in 10 reporting a “positive sentiment” in their job—according to a new survey.
The annual Shift Pulse Report from the workforce management platform Deputy gauged how hourly workers felt about their jobs in 10 common industries—from cannabis to cleaning services to firearms.
The report found that American workers were less satisfied, and the level of happiness dropped to 78.5 percent by 2025, compared with 80 percent last year. However, employees at the marijuana, e-cigarette, or tobacco businesses are the most happy.
Nearly 92 percent (or a total of 920) of hourly cannabis and tobacco workers feel positive about their job. There are 91 per cent of employees in catering who feel the same way.
Deputy stated that this could be due to a more competitive wage structure and workplace culture in the newer, regulated sectors which prioritize retention of employees as they grow rapidly.
There’s no surprise that hourly cannabis workers are happier in their jobs, given that they face unique challenges as a result of federal prohibition. These include a higher risk of being the target of robberies because many marijuana businesses operate primarily in cash environments.
“This year’s happiest industry sectors reveal a growing trend: purpose, predictability, and a sense of control over one’s workday matter just as much—if not more—than prestige or pay alone,” the report says. These industries can provide employers with practical advice on teamwork, autonomy and building a culture.
The most unsatisfied sectors among American hourly employees are pharmaceuticals (14%), postal and delivery services (14%), animal health (12%), doctor’s office (12%), outpatient care (10%) and other hospitality (8%) services.
“The 2025 Shift Pulse Report reveals sharp divides across the U.S. in how shift workers feel about their jobs—with sentiment driven not just by geography, but also by local economic conditions, industry makeup, and cultural attitudes toward work,” Deputy said.
“For employers and policymakers, this is a call to action: where people live still heavily influences how they feel about the work they do—and no single national strategy will solve for sentiment without considering these local realities,” the report concludes.
The Shift Pulse Survey responses of 1,515,790 shift workers from across the U.S. were analyzed between April 2024 to April 2025.
Cannabis workers may be among the most contented among other sectors. But they are not free of their own challenges. Beyond the limited banking issue, there has also been a push to ensure that these employees are able to enter into labor peace agreements—a policy that’s been built into legalization laws in several states.
Recently, a federal judge struck down an Oregon voter-approved law which required that licensed marijuana businesses sign such agreements with their workers. It also mandated employers to remain neutral when discussing unionization.
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