How much should I charge as a lawyer in Missouri ?

Did you know that lawyers in Missouri typically charge between $137 and $596 per hour, with the average being $254? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Missouri 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 Missouri, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Missouri.

Hourly rates in Missouri

Lawyers in Missouri typically charge between $137 and $596 per hour, with the average being $254. 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 Missouri by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$296
Appellate$339
Bankruptcy$324
Business$296
Civil Litigation$265
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$178
Collections$361
Commercial | Sale of Goods$344
Construction$259
Contracts$266
Corporate$309
Criminal$232
Elder Law$596
Employment | Labor$276
Family$253
Government$241
Immigration$482
Insurance$235
Intellectual Property$332
Juvenile$137
Mediation | Arbitration$290
Medical Malpractice$198
Other$271
Personal Injury$224
Real Estate$275
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$357
Traffic Offenses$281
Trusts$317
Wills & Estates$286
Worker's Compensation$186

Missouri's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Missouri law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $231. The average hourly rate for Missouri lawyers is $254 and the average for non-lawyers is $132.

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.


Missouri'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 Missouri law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $258, while the average hourly rate for Missouri lawyers is $284 and non-lawyers is $147.

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.

Missouri'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%.

Missouri's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Missouri law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 31%.

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%.

Missouri's realization rate

The realization rate for Missouri law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 83%.

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%.

Missouri's collection rate

The collection rate for Missouri 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%.

Missouri’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$254$284
2021 Legal Trends Report$246$276
2020 Legal Trends Report$238$265
2019 Legal Trends Report$231$258
2018 Legal Trends Report$236$264

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$231$258
2021 Legal Trends Report$225$252
2020 Legal Trends Report$216$241
2019 Legal Trends Report$208$232
2018 Legal Trends Report$215$241

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$132$147
2021 Legal Trends Report$127$143
2020 Legal Trends Report$123$137
2019 Legal Trends Report$120$134
2018 Legal Trends Report$128$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 Missouri?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Missouri is between $596 and $137 per hour, with the average being $254.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Missouri is $253 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Missouri is $265 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Missouri is $232 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Missouri?

Elder Law attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Missouri, earning $596 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Missouri?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Missouri, earning $137 per hour on average.