Excavation costs and wages in Tennessee
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Tennessee earn a median of $25.00 an hour, or $52,000 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $22.35 and $28.54 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 10,660 of these jobs in Tennessee. That's below the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in Tennessee earn a median of $21.64 an hour, or $45,000 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $18.11 and $23.78 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 26,250 of these jobs in Tennessee. 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 Tennessee
Tennessee has 797 excavation contractors listed, and 410 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Knox County (35), Hamilton County (31), Sevier County (24), Sumner County (24) and Davidson County (23). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in Tennessee
Tennessee licenses contractors through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (Contractor | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors; Tennessee Contractor Classification Outline).
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.
Tennessee against the national range
Published labor data puts the Southeast's average rates lowest in the country (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 Tennessee.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/tn/costs/