Excavation costs and wages in Alaska
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in Alaska, how many excavation contractors are listed here and in which counties, and the state's licensing rules. Job prices aren't published for any one state, so our price ranges are national.
Checked October 2, 2026
Wages in Alaska
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Alaska earn a median of $37.41 an hour, or $77,810 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $32.13 and $48.03 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 3,050 of these jobs in Alaska. That's above the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in Alaska earn a median of $27.91 an hour, or $58,060 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $22.30 and $33.63 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 3,690 of these jobs in Alaska. That's above the national median of $22.66 an hour (BLS).
These are wages, not prices. A contractor's price also covers materials, equipment, insurance, overhead and profit, so a wage can't be turned into what a job costs you. BLS counts employees only, not the self-employed.
Contractors in Alaska
Alaska has 223 excavation contractors listed, and 176 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Matanuska-Susitna Borough (75), Kenai Peninsula (39), Anchorage Municipality (33) and Fairbanks North Star (32). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in Alaska
Alaska licenses contractors through the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (Construction Contractors) (Statutes and Regulations Construction Contractors September 2023; Specialty Contractor Registration Application (08-4818, Rev. 09/03/2025)).
National price ranges
National price ranges for excavation, clearing, grading and driveway work, each credited to its source, are in our guides to excavation, land clearing, grading and driveway costs.
For a planning range on your own job, run the estimator.
Alaska against the national range
Published labor data puts the West roughly 20% above the Southeast (SiteX).
That's an average across a region, not a price for your job, and local quotes vary inside it.
Get quotes from contractors in your county
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Cite this page
“Excavation costs and wages in Alaska.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/ak/costs/