There is provided a hydraulic excavator in which occurrence of minute vibrations in a control lever can be suppressed. A boom-raising proportional solenoid valve is provided in a boom-raising pilot conduit. A boom-lowering proportional solenoid valve is provided in a boom-lowering pilot conduit. A controller controls an opening degree of the boom-lowering proportional solenoid valve based on a pressure generated in the boom-lowering pilot conduit between the control lever and the boom-lowering proportional solenoid valve, and controls an opening degree of the boom-raising proportional solenoid valve. An amount of increase in current per unit time when the controller outputs, to the boom-lowering proportional solenoid valve, an instruction signal for instructing an increase in opening degree is smaller than an amount of increase in current per unit time when the controller outputs, to the boom-raising proportional solenoid valve, an instruction signal for instructing an increase in opening degree.