Excavation Worker Salary in California

$29/hr

Compare California excavation labor wages and national sector benchmarks when reviewing employee job offers for digging or backfill work.

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What Excavation Workers Earn in California

California construction laborer wages span $19.69–$45.01/hr, or $40,950–$93,620 a year. These employee figures include manual excavation and trench labor within a broader construction occupation. Equipment operators are separate. For a digging or backfill role, match the offer to its daily duties, hours and benefits. Premium pay and benefits are excluded from these wage figures. Ask who supplies tools, how required preparation is recorded and which project classifications apply.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$19.69–$23.15/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$23.15–$37.75/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$37.75–$45.01/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Excavation Worker
California · Day Shift
Base rate$30.45
+ SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.83
+ 40-Hour HAZWOPER$3.00
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.73
Effective hourly$39.01
Straight · 40 hrs$1,560
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$468
Weekly gross$2,029
Annualised · 50 weeks
$101,426
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

These national construction-laborer figures cover three settings for excavation work. Ask California employers about trench duties, project wages and movement between sites and crews.

01 / 03$24.08/hr

Highway and Bridge Construction

Road earthwork puts laborers near traffic and moving haul equipment. Discuss closure schedules, safe access and paid preparation with the employer. Discuss time for ground preparation, material handling and clearing access at the end of each shift.

+ Road experience
+ Crew coordination
– Traffic exposure
– Closure schedules
02 / 03$22.79/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Site preparation firms handle excavation and grading. Ask how frequently crews relocate and which backfill or compaction tasks the opening includes. Discuss assigned travel and how the employer records time during pauses for utility clearance.

+ Earthwork focus
+ Varied sites
– Site changes
– Equipment interfaces
03 / 03$24.01/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Building projects need ground preparation around foundations and other trades. Discuss who directs digging and how deliveries affect your daily work sequence. Ask whether you stay with one crew or move between foundation and access assignments.

+ Building experience
+ Trade coordination
– Delivery conflicts
– Changing assignments

Which states pay excavation workers the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$28.98/hr
  2. 02Virginia$20.94/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4.83$10,046$00 weeks
40-Hour HAZWOPER+$3$6,240$2402 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$2.18$4,534$1592 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.73$1,518$593 weeks
Excavation & Trenching Competent Person+$0.58$1,206$1959 weeks
Cal/OSHA Silica in Construction (8 CCR 1532.3) Training+$0.07$146$3011 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.98/hr.

40 hr week
$1,159
No OT
50 hr week
$1,594
+$21,735/yr
60 hr week
$2,029
+$43,470/yr
70 hr week
$2,463
+$65,205/yr

Questions workers ask

Am I paid while waiting on site for utility marks?▾
Yes, if you are under the employer's control. Wage Order 16, enforced by the Labor Commissioner, counts all time subject to the employer's control as hours worked. Record standby time with your other hours.
How does public works pay affect my offer?▾
Covered California public works use the DIR Director's prevailing wage determinations. Find the classification for the work you perform and the project's applicable determination. Discuss basic pay, fringe benefits and overtime separately. These broad occupation ranges do not replace the project's required rates.
Do cleanup hours count toward overtime?▾
Yes. Required cleanup is work time. Under Wage Order 16, California construction overtime generally starts after eight daily or 40 weekly hours, with schedule and agreement exceptions. Record preparation, digging and cleanup together. Keep a daily record of tasks, start times and finish times.

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Current BLS California employee wages for Construction Laborers, SOC 47-2061; includes manual excavation and trench labour, excludes equipment operators, premium pay and benefits.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.