Excavation costs and wages in Alabama
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in Alabama, 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 Alabama
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Alabama earn a median of $22.84 an hour, or $47,520 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $19.12 and $27.66 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 9,640 of these jobs in Alabama. That's below the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in Alabama earn a median of $17.74 an hour, or $36,900 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $14.41 and $21.75 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 18,400 of these jobs in Alabama. That's below 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 Alabama
Alabama has 1,068 excavation contractors listed, and 840 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Madison County (55), Jefferson County (53), Shelby County (48), Cullman County (47) and DeKalb County (46). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in Alabama
Alabama licenses contractors through the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (Law - Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors; Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors prime contractor application (Revised 02/2022)).
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.
Alabama against the national range
Published labor data puts the Southeast's average rates lowest in the country (SiteX).
That's an average across a region, not a price for your job, and local quotes vary inside it.
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Cite this page
“Excavation costs and wages in Alabama.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/al/costs/