How much should I charge as a lawyer in Missouri ?

Did you know that lawyers in Missouri typically charge between $144 and $690 per hour, with the average being $280? 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 $144 and $690 per hour, with the average being $280. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $462 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $195.

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$270
Appellate$337
Bankruptcy$365
Business$308
Civil Litigation$274
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$182
Collections$292
Commercial Sale of Goods$330
Construction$274
Contracts$266
Corporate$316
Criminal$265
Elder Law$690
Employment Labor$291
Family$263
Government$270
Immigration$655
Insurance$258
Intellectual Property$345
Juvenile$144
Mediation and Arbitration$301
Medical Malpractice$339
Other$273
Personal Injury$239
Real Estate$280
Small Claims$145
Tax$429
Traffic Offenses$276
Trusts$355
Wills and Estates$325
Worker's Compensation$282

Hourly Rates for Missouri Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $262/hour

    The average hourly rate for Missouri law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $262. The average hourly rate for Missouri lawyers is $280 and the average for non-lawyers is $154.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $427, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $192.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $462, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $195.

  • Adjusted for cost of living is $288/hour

    When it comes 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 $288, while the average hourly rate for Missouri lawyers is $307 and non-lawyers is $169.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $399, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $215.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $432, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $219.

Missouri'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 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 25%.

  • Realization rate 85%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 87%.

    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 92%

    How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 93%.

    For comparison: District of Columbia has the highest collection rate for law firms at 96%, while West Virginia has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 86%.

Missouri’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$307$307
2023 Legal Trends Report$271$271
2022 Legal Trends Report$284$284
2021 Legal Trends Report$276$276
2020 Legal Trends Report$265$265

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$288$288
2023 Legal Trends Report$246$246
2022 Legal Trends Report$258$258
2021 Legal Trends Report$252$252
2020 Legal Trends Report$241$241

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$169$169
2023 Legal Trends Report$142$142
2022 Legal Trends Report$147$147
2021 Legal Trends Report$143$143
2020 Legal Trends Report$137$137
  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2024)

    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 $690 and $144 per hour, with the average being $280.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Missouri is $263 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Missouri is $274 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Missouri is $265 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 $690 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 $144 per hour on average.