Excavation costs and wages in New Mexico
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in New Mexico, 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 Mexico
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in New Mexico earn a median of $25.00 an hour, or $52,000 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $22.82 and $28.89 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 5,520 of these jobs in New Mexico. That's below the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in New Mexico earn a median of $18.46 an hour, or $38,400 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $17.07 and $22.26 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 12,470 of these jobs in New Mexico. 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 New Mexico
New Mexico has 261 excavation contractors listed, and 179 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Santa Fe County (31), San Juan County (27), Taos County (27), Bernalillo County (25) and Doña Ana County (20). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in New Mexico
New Mexico licenses contractors through the Construction Industries Division, New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (14.6.6 NMAC Classifications and Scopes; 14.6.2 NMAC Handyman Certificate).
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 Mexico 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 New Mexico.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/nm/costs/