How much should I charge as a lawyer in Iowa ?

Did you know that lawyers in Iowa typically charge between $82 and $467 per hour, with the average being $202? 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 $82 and $467 per hour, with the average being $202. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $392 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $162.


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$313
Appellate$95
Bankruptcy$467
Business$315
Civil Litigation$281
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$199
Commercial Sale of Goods$300
Construction$248
Contracts$217
Corporate$257
Criminal$126
Elder Law$212
Employment Labor$320
Family$258
Government$227
Immigration$144
Insurance$207
Intellectual Property$261
Juvenile$82
Mediation and Arbitration$181
Medical Malpractice$350
Other$223
Personal Injury$322
Real Estate$262
Small Claims$263
Tax$233
Traffic Offenses$338
Trusts$267
Wills and Estates$274
Worker's Compensation$280

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 $193. The average hourly rate for Iowa lawyers is $202 and the average for non-lawyers is $130.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $365, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $160.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $392, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $162.


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 $215, while the average hourly rate for Iowa lawyers is $225 and non-lawyers is $145.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $328, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $176.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $352, while Alabama has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $178.

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 86%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 90%.

Iowa's utilization rate

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

For comparison:
  • Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 43%, while Arkansas 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 77%.

For comparison:
  • Vermont has the highest realization rate for law firms at 95%, while District of Columbia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 70%.

Iowa's collection rate

The collection rate for Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 89%.

For comparison:
  • Vermont has the highest collection rate for law firms at 95%, while Rhode Island has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 81%.

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
2023 Legal Trends Report$202$225
2022 Legal Trends Report$192$213
2021 Legal Trends Report$189$209
2020 Legal Trends Report$175$194
2019 Legal Trends Report$159$176

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$193$215
2022 Legal Trends Report$185$205
2021 Legal Trends Report$182$202
2020 Legal Trends Report$170$188
2019 Legal Trends Report$155$172

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$130$145
2022 Legal Trends Report$130$143
2021 Legal Trends Report$134$148
2020 Legal Trends Report$125$138
2019 Legal Trends Report$126$139
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 $467 and $82 per hour, with the average being $202.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Iowa is $258 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Iowa is $281 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Iowa is $126 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Iowa?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Iowa, earning $467 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 $82 per hour on average.