Excavation costs and wages in Arkansas
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in Arkansas, 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 Arkansas
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Arkansas earn a median of $21.41 an hour, or $44,520 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $18.44 and $23.97 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 5,800 of these jobs in Arkansas. That's below the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in Arkansas earn a median of $18.09 an hour, or $37,630 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $16.63 and $21.31 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 10,650 of these jobs in Arkansas. 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 Arkansas
Arkansas has 344 excavation contractors listed, and 120 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Benton County (24), Pulaski County (16), Washington County (16), Garland County (15) and Crawford County (14). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in Arkansas
Arkansas licenses contractors through the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing) (Apply for Contractors License/Registration » Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing; State of Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board Commercial New Application).
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.
Arkansas 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 Arkansas.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/ar/costs/