Excavation costs and wages in California
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in California, 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 California
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in California earn a median of $41.90 an hour, or $87,160 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $31.36 and $60.37 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 36,020 of these jobs in California. That's above the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in California earn a median of $28.98 an hour, or $60,270 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $23.15 and $37.75 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 88,240 of these jobs in California. 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 California
California has 1,868 excavation contractors listed, and 1,550 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Los Angeles County (171), Riverside County (155), San Diego County (132), San Bernardino County (115) and Sonoma County (76). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in California
California licenses contractors through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) (California Business and Professions Code 7048 (California Legislative Information); Licensing Classifications Detail-CSLB (C-12 Earthwork and Paving Contractors); Licensing Classifications Detail-CSLB (A General Engineering Contractor)).
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.
California 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 California.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/ca/costs/