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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 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Salary Guides / California
Compare California excavation labor wages and national sector benchmarks when reviewing employee job offers for digging or backfill work.
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.
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
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$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$4.83 | $10,046 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| 40-Hour HAZWOPER | +$3 | $6,240 | $240 | 2 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$2.18 | $4,534 | $159 | 2 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.73 | $1,518 | $59 | 3 weeks |
| Excavation & Trenching Competent Person | +$0.58 | $1,206 | $195 | 9 weeks |
| Cal/OSHA Silica in Construction (8 CCR 1532.3) Training | +$0.07 | $146 | $30 | 11 weeks |
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.98/hr.
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
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