How much should I charge as a lawyer in Iowa ?

Did you know that lawyers in Iowa typically charge between $91 and $422 per hour, with the average being $192? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Iowa 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 Iowa, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Iowa.

Hourly rates in Iowa

Lawyers in Iowa typically charge between $91 and $422 per hour, with the average being $192. 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 Iowa by practice area

Average hourly rates in Iowa vary by practice area. The table below includes the average hourly rate for attorneys in different practice areas.


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$274
Appellate$127
Bankruptcy$422
Business$298
Civil Litigation$238
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$289
Collections$188
Commercial | Sale of Goods$385
Construction$246
Contracts$266
Corporate$268
Criminal$109
Elder Law$227
Employment | Labor$288
Family$254
Government$192
Immigration$129
Insurance$210
Intellectual Property$300
Juvenile$91
Mediation | Arbitration$191
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$212
Personal Injury$270
Real Estate$241
Small Claims$242
Tax$216
Traffic Offenses$296
Trusts$252
Wills & Estates$255
Worker's Compensation$266

Iowa's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $185. The average hourly rate for Iowa lawyers is $192 and the average for non-lawyers is $130.

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.


Iowa'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 Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $205, while the average hourly rate for Iowa lawyers is $213 and non-lawyers is $143.

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.

Iowa'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%.

Iowa's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 36%.

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%.

Iowa's realization rate

The realization rate for Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 78%.

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%.

Iowa's collection rate

The collection rate for Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 87%.

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%.

Iowa’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$192$213
2021 Legal Trends Report$189$209
2020 Legal Trends Report$175$194
2019 Legal Trends Report$159$176
2018 Legal Trends Report$154$171

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$185$205
2021 Legal Trends Report$182$202
2020 Legal Trends Report$170$188
2019 Legal Trends Report$155$172
2018 Legal Trends Report$150$167

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$130$143
2021 Legal Trends Report$134$148
2020 Legal Trends Report$125$138
2019 Legal Trends Report$126$139
2018 Legal Trends Report$113$125
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 Iowa?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Iowa is between $422 and $91 per hour, with the average being $192.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Iowa is $254 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Iowa is $238 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Iowa is $109 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Iowa?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Iowa, earning $422 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Iowa?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Iowa, earning $91 per hour on average.