How much should I charge as a lawyer in California ?

Did you know that lawyers in California typically charge between $165 and $486 per hour, with the average being $358? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in California can provide valuable insight into how competitive your rates are and help you make strategic decisions regarding your billing rate.

Below, we’ve included further information on the average hourly rates in California, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in California.

Hourly rates in California

Lawyers in California typically charge between $165 and $486 per hour, with the average being $358. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $424 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $168.

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$359
Appellate$390
Bankruptcy$463
Business$389
Civil Litigation$364
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$433
Collections$380
Commercial | Sale of Goods$404
Construction$286
Contracts$376
Corporate$440
Criminal$309
Elder Law$323
Employment | Labor$373
Family$363
Government$329
Immigration$309
Insurance$316
Intellectual Property$410
Juvenile$165
Mediation | Arbitration$424
Medical Malpractice$217
Other$368
Personal Injury$309
Real Estate$412
Small Claims$261
Tax$486
Traffic Offenses$318
Trusts$384
Wills & Estates$389
Worker's Compensation$175

California's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for California law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $326. The average hourly rate for California lawyers is $358 and the average for non-lawyers is $185.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $384, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $163.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $424, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $168.


California's hourly rates adjusted for cost of living

When it come 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 $290, while the average hourly rate for California lawyers is $319 and non-lawyers is $165.

For comparison:
  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $330, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $183.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $359, while Alabama has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $189.

Note: Industry-wide data suggests the average lawyer could increase rates by an additional 3% to keep up with recent changes in the consumer price index (CPI) relative to 2019.

California's utilization, realization, and collection rates

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.

Lawyers should be familiar with the following KPIs:

  1. Utilization rate: How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 33%.
  2. Realization rate: How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 85%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 89%.

California's utilization rate

The utilization rate for California law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 34%.

For comparison:
  • Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 42%, while New Hampshire has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 26%.

California's realization rate

The realization rate for California law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 82%.

For comparison:
  • Idaho has the highest realization rate for law firms at 94%, while District of Columbia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 66%.

California's collection rate

The collection rate for California law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 90%.

For comparison:
  • Minnesota has the highest collection rate for law firms at 92%, while Illinois has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 85%.

California’s hourly rates over the last five reports

Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$358$319
2021 Legal Trends Report$352$313
2020 Legal Trends Report$338$301
2019 Legal Trends Report$323$287
2018 Legal Trends Report$311$277

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$326$290
2021 Legal Trends Report$319$283
2020 Legal Trends Report$308$274
2019 Legal Trends Report$295$263
2018 Legal Trends Report$284$253

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$185$165
2021 Legal Trends Report$172$153
2020 Legal Trends Report$171$152
2019 Legal Trends Report$172$153
2018 Legal Trends Report$161$143
Legal Trends Report

About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2023)

Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals using Clio. 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?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in California is between $486 and $165 per hour, with the average being $358.

How much does a family lawyer charge in California?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in California is $363 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in California?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in California is $364 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in California?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in California is $309 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in California?

Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in California, earning $486 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in California?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in California, earning $165 per hour on average.