Excavation costs and wages in West Virginia
What equipment operators and construction laborers earn in West Virginia, 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 West Virginia
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators in West Virginia earn a median of $24.66 an hour, or $51,300 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $20.49 and $29.66 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 7,830 of these jobs in West Virginia. That's below the national median of $28.78 an hour (BLS).
Construction laborers in West Virginia earn a median of $20.51 an hour, or $42,670 a year (BLS, May 2025). Half of them earn between $17.12 and $26.34 an hour, the 25th to 75th percentiles (BLS state file). BLS counts 6,620 of these jobs in West Virginia. 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 West Virginia
West Virginia has 679 excavation contractors listed, and 593 of them hold an active USDOT registration. Of the counties with pages of their own, the largest are Berkeley County (43), Kanawha County (43), Monongalia County (30), Randolph County (26) and Preston County (24). Browse them by county, or ask for quotes and we'll match you with excavation contractors near you.
Permits and rules in West Virginia
West Virginia licenses contractors through the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (WV Division of Labor) (West Virginia Code 30-42-3 Definitions; West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board Candidate Information Bulletin).
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.
West Virginia 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 West Virginia.” LeaderExcavation.com, updated October 2, 2026. https://leaderexcavation.com/wv/costs/