Excavation costs and wages in Arizona
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in Arizona, 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 Arizona
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Arizona earn a median of $29.14 an hour, or $60,620 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $24.62 and $31.43 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 13,200 of these jobs in Arizona. That's above the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in Arizona earn a median of $22.40 an hour, or $46,590 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $19.04 and $24.82 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 37,630 of these jobs in Arizona. 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 Arizona
Arizona has 1,154 excavation contractors listed, and 556 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Maricopa County (573), Pima County (153), Yavapai County (119), Pinal County (74) and Mohave County (59). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in Arizona
Arizona licenses contractors through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (32-1121 - Persons not required to be licensed; penalties; applicability; License Classifications (Arizona Registrar of Contractors)).
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.
Arizona 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.
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Cite this page
“Excavation costs and wages in Arizona.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/az/costs/