The telescopic lift arm (1) for self-propelled operating machines (10), such a lifters, telehandlers and the like, comprises three tubular elements (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26), having a decreasing section and telescopically connected to one another to define a support structure which is able to move between a retracted configuration in which the tubular elements (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) are inserted in one another, and an elongate configuration, in which two tubular elements are extracted.
The arm (1) comprises a hydraulic actuator (4), associated to the support structure (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) and provided with three hydraulic elements (41, 42, 43) telescopically connected to one another, each of which is connected to a respective tubular element of the support structure.