How much should I charge as a lawyer in Mississippi ?

Did you know that lawyers in Mississippi typically charge between $149 and $343 per hour, with the average being $217? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Mississippi 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 Mississippi, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Mississippi.

Hourly rates in Mississippi

Lawyers in Mississippi typically charge between $149 and $343 per hour, with the average being $217. 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 Mississippi by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$202
Appellate$188
Bankruptcy$336
Business$227
Civil Litigation$219
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$250
Collections$228
Commercial Sale of Goods$263
Construction$250
Contracts$242
Corporate$264
Criminal$226
Elder Law$254
Employment Labor$343
Family$255
Government$250
Immigration$292
Insurance$199
Intellectual Property$308
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and ArbitrationCurrently unavailable
Medical Malpractice$205
Other$215
Personal Injury$184
Real Estate$266
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$279
Traffic Offenses$235
Trusts$304
Wills and Estates$266
Worker's Compensation$149

Mississippi's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Mississippi law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $199. The average hourly rate for Mississippi lawyers is $217 and the average for non-lawyers is $127.

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.


Mississippi'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 Mississippi law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $229, while the average hourly rate for Mississippi lawyers is $251 and non-lawyers is $147.

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.

Mississippi'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%.

Mississippi's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Mississippi law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 29%.

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%.

Mississippi's realization rate

The realization rate for Mississippi law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 82%.

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%.

Mississippi's collection rate

The collection rate for Mississippi 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%.

Mississippi’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$217$251
2022 Legal Trends Report$225$259
2021 Legal Trends Report$214$247
2020 Legal Trends Report$212$245
2019 Legal Trends Report$203$234

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$199$229
2022 Legal Trends Report$205$240
2021 Legal Trends Report$197$231
2020 Legal Trends Report$191$226
2019 Legal Trends Report$185$213

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$127$147
2022 Legal Trends Report$123$142
2021 Legal Trends Report$137$158
2020 Legal Trends Report$136$157
2019 Legal Trends Report$115$132
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 Mississippi?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Mississippi is between $343 and $149 per hour, with the average being $217.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Mississippi?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Mississippi is $255 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Mississippi?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Mississippi is $219 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Mississippi?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Mississippi is $226 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Mississippi?

Employment Labor attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Mississippi, earning $343 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Mississippi?

Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Mississippi, earning $149 per hour on average.