Marijuana Business Magazine’s salary data reveals regional trends that were echoed by cannabis industry observers.

Perhaps the most significant: East Coast cannabis companies in search of candidates with marijuana industry experience are pulling employees away from West Coast rivals by offering better pay and perks.

“Pretty much across the board,” HempStaff CEO James Yagielo said, “the East Coast tends to pay a little more than the West Coast, and the Northeast and mid-Atlantic seem to have the best salaries right now.”

Vangst CEO Karson Humiston agreed.

“We’re seeing that a ton, and the reason is because there aren’t a ton of people out there with this experience,” she said.

“How many people have large-scale commercial, compliant cannabis cultivation, cannabis extraction, retail store dispensary management experience?”

Yagielo noted that compensation doesn’t fluctuate only between states but also within states, depending on the cost of living for a particular locale. The cost of living in Seattle or Boston, for example, will be much higher than in eastern Washington state or western Massachusetts.

Salaries can also depend on the particular business: Is it a basic dispensary, or does it try to feel like a pharmacy or the doctor’s office?

“Some companies only hire people that worked in pharmacies before. Those positions can get $15 to $20 per hour,” Yagielo said. “Whereas, in Florida, a lot of these companies are hiring anyone off the street for $10 an hour.”