Excavation costs and wages in New Jersey
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in New Jersey, 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 New Jersey
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in New Jersey earn a median of $43.11 an hour, or $89,660 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $30.82 and $60.74 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 5,980 of these jobs in New Jersey. That's above the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in New Jersey earn a median of $30.80 an hour, or $64,060 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $22.46 and $45.44 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 23,590 of these jobs in New Jersey. 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 New Jersey
New Jersey has 451 excavation contractors listed, and 340 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Ocean County (45), Sussex County (37), Hunterdon County (33), Bergen County (32) and Monmouth County (32). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in New Jersey
New Jersey licenses contractors through the Division of Consumer Affairs (home improvement contractor registration); Department of Labor and Workforce Development (public works contractor registration) (New Jersey Statutes, full text download).
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.
New Jersey against the national range
Published labor data has no separate figure for this region, so expect prices near the national range.
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 New Jersey.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/nj/costs/