Excavation costs and wages in Idaho
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in Idaho, 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 Idaho
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Idaho earn a median of $29.66 an hour, or $61,680 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $25.28 and $36.25 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 4,270 of these jobs in Idaho. That's above the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in Idaho earn a median of $22.57 an hour, or $46,940 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $19.02 and $26.46 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 10,850 of these jobs in Idaho. 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 Idaho
Idaho has 875 excavation contractors listed, and 712 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Kootenai County (104), Ada County (103), Canyon County (88), Bonner County (66) and Bonneville County (38). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in Idaho
Idaho licenses contractors through the Idaho Contractors Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) (Section 54-5204 Registration required - Idaho State Legislature; Section 54-5205 Exemptions - Idaho State Legislature; Section 54-5203 Definitions - Idaho State Legislature).
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.
Idaho 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 Idaho.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/id/costs/