Excavation costs and wages in Vermont
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in Vermont, 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 Vermont
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in Vermont earn a median of $28.30 an hour, or $58,870 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $25.37 and $30.62 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 1,280 of these jobs in Vermont. That's below the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in Vermont earn a median of $23.36 an hour, or $48,580 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $22.49 and $27.94 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 1,430 of these jobs in Vermont. 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 Vermont
Vermont has 237 excavation contractors listed, and 139 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Windsor County (35), Chittenden County (28), Bennington County (22), Orleans County (21) and Rutland County (20). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in Vermont
Vermont licenses contractors through the Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (26 V.S.A. Chapter 106 Residential Contractors - Vermont Statutes Online).
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.
Vermont 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 Vermont.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/vt/costs/