How much should I charge as a lawyer in Minnesota ?

Did you know that lawyers in Minnesota typically charge between $162 and $468 per hour, with the average being $325? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Minnesota 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 Minnesota, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Minnesota.

Hourly rates in Minnesota

Lawyers in Minnesota typically charge between $162 and $468 per hour, with the average being $325. 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 Minnesota by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$315
Appellate$296
Bankruptcy$282
Business$384
Civil Litigation$328
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$365
Collections$294
Commercial Sale of Goods$395
Construction$421
Contracts$379
Corporate$370
Criminal$297
Elder Law$196
Employment Labor$365
Family$305
Government$182
Immigration$356
Insurance$295
Intellectual PropertyCurrently unavailable
Juvenile$162
Mediation and Arbitration$250
Medical Malpractice$325
Other$359
Personal Injury$332
Real Estate$331
Small Claims$347
Tax$468
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$349
Wills and Estates$343
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

Hourly Rates for Minnesota Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $291/hour

    The average hourly rate for Minnesota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $291. The average hourly rate for Minnesota lawyers is $325 and the average for non-lawyers is $174.

    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 $296/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Minnesota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $296, while the average hourly rate for Minnesota lawyers is $330 and non-lawyers is $177.

    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.

Minnesota'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 33%

    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 87%

    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 94%

    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%.

Minnesota’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$325$330
2024 Legal Trends Report$305$312
2023 Legal Trends Report$271$276
2022 Legal Trends Report$274$281
2021 Legal Trends Report$275$282

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$291$296
2024 Legal Trends Report$283$290
2023 Legal Trends Report$250$254
2022 Legal Trends Report$254$260
2021 Legal Trends Report$255$261

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$174$177
2024 Legal Trends Report$162$166
2023 Legal Trends Report$146$148
2022 Legal Trends Report$153$156
2021 Legal Trends Report$151$155
  • 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 Minnesota?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Minnesota is between $468 and $162 per hour, with the average being $325.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Minnesota?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Minnesota is $305 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Minnesota?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Minnesota is $328 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Minnesota?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Minnesota is $297 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Minnesota?

Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Minnesota, earning $468 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Minnesota?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Minnesota, earning $162 per hour on average.