How much should I charge as a lawyer in Missouri ?

Did you know that lawyers in Missouri typically charge between $188 and $508 per hour, with the average being $300? 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 $188 and $508 per hour, with the average being $300. 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 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$308
Appellate$242
Bankruptcy$352
Business$335
Civil Litigation$307
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$293
Commercial Sale of Goods$356
Construction$258
Contracts$395
Corporate$317
Criminal$298
Elder Law$314
Employment Labor$364
Family$290
Government$301
Immigration$508
Insurance$234
Intellectual Property$397
Juvenile$188
Mediation and Arbitration$288
Medical Malpractice$441
Other$305
Personal Injury$199
Real Estate$298
Small Claims$333
Tax$469
Traffic Offenses$251
Trusts$353
Wills and Estates$328
Worker's Compensation$323

Hourly Rates for Missouri Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $268/hour

    The average hourly rate for Missouri law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $268. The average hourly rate for Missouri lawyers is $300 and the average for non-lawyers is $148.

    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 $292/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 $292, while the average hourly rate for Missouri lawyers is $327 and non-lawyers is $161.

    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.

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 36%

    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 86%

    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 93%

    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%.

Missouri’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$300$327
2024 Legal Trends Report$280$307
2023 Legal Trends Report$249$271
2022 Legal Trends Report$254$284
2021 Legal Trends Report$246$276

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$268$292
2024 Legal Trends Report$262$288
2023 Legal Trends Report$227$246
2022 Legal Trends Report$231$258
2021 Legal Trends Report$225$252

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$148$161
2024 Legal Trends Report$154$169
2023 Legal Trends Report$131$142
2022 Legal Trends Report$132$147
2021 Legal Trends Report$127$143
  • 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 Missouri?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Missouri is between $508 and $188 per hour, with the average being $300.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Missouri is $290 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Missouri is $307 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Missouri?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Missouri is $298 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Missouri?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Missouri, earning $508 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 $188 per hour on average.