Hourly rates in California
Lawyers in California typically charge between $181 and $544 per hour, with the average being $420. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $490 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $196.
Hourly rates in California by practice area
Average hourly rates in California vary by practice area. The table below includes the average hourly rate for attorneys in different practice areas.
Practice Area |
Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Administrative | $397 |
| Appellate | $489 |
| Bankruptcy | $544 |
| Business | $448 |
| Civil Litigation | $396 |
| Civil Rights and Constitutional Law | $505 |
| Collections | $358 |
| Commercial Sale of Goods | $452 |
| Construction | $285 |
| Contracts | $421 |
| Corporate | $514 |
| Criminal | $352 |
| Elder Law | $369 |
| Employment Labor | $432 |
| Family | $409 |
| Government | $420 |
| Immigration | $381 |
| Insurance | $305 |
| Intellectual Property | $461 |
| Juvenile | Currently unavailable |
| Mediation and Arbitration | $382 |
| Medical Malpractice | $252 |
| Other | $391 |
| Personal Injury | $416 |
| Real Estate | $461 |
| Small Claims | $240 |
| Tax | $496 |
| Traffic Offenses | $372 |
| Trusts | $431 |
| Wills and Estates | $439 |
| Worker's Compensation | $181 |
Hourly Rates for California Law Firms
-
Not adjusted for cost of living is $358/hour
The average hourly rate for California law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $358. The average hourly rate for California lawyers is $420 and the average for non-lawyers is $213.
For comparison:
- District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $454, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $185.
- District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $490, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $196.
-
Adjusted for cost of living is $318/hour
When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for California law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $318, while the average hourly rate for California lawyers is $373 and non-lawyers is $189.
For comparison:- Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $421, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $206.
- Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $475, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $218.
California's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Key performance indicators (KPIs) offer valuable insights into a firm’s performance. This information helps lawyers understand how they and their employees are contributing to revenue generation, and can be instrumental in identifying areas for continuous improvement.
-
Utilization rate 37%
How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 37%.
For comparison: Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 46%, while Arkansas has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 29%. -
Realization rate 78%
How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 86%.
For comparison: Idaho has the highest realization rate for law firms at 95%, while West Virginia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 74%. -
Collection rate 93%
How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 93%.
For comparison: Delaware has the highest collection rate for law firms at 97%, while Arkansas has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 87%.
California’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports
Lawyer Rates
Legal Trends Report | Hourly Rate | Adjusted Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Legal Trends Report | $420 | $373 |
| 2024 Legal Trends Report | $391 | $348 |
| 2023 Legal Trends Report | $344 | $308 |
| 2022 Legal Trends Report | $358 | $319 |
| 2021 Legal Trends Report | $352 | $313 |
Law Firm Rates
Legal Trends Report | Hourly Rate | Adjusted Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Legal Trends Report | $358 | $318 |
| 2024 Legal Trends Report | $360 | $320 |
| 2023 Legal Trends Report | $313 | $280 |
| 2022 Legal Trends Report | $326 | $290 |
| 2021 Legal Trends Report | $319 | $283 |
Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates
Legal Trends Report | Hourly Rate | Adjusted Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Legal Trends Report | $213 | $189 |
| 2024 Legal Trends Report | $234 | $208 |
| 2023 Legal Trends Report | $186 | $166 |
| 2022 Legal Trends Report | $185 | $165 |
| 2021 Legal Trends Report | $172 | $153 |
-
About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2025)
Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals. Each year, this data is analyzed and published within the Legal Trends Report, which provides ongoing, in-depth research into the most pressing issues faced by legal professionals.
Read the Legal Trends Report
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hourly rate of a lawyer in California?
How much does a family lawyer charge in California?
How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in California?
How much does a criminal lawyer charge in California?
What is the highest paid type of lawyer in California?
What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in California?
Explore Lawyer Rates From Across the U.S.A.
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming