How much should I charge as a lawyer in Mississippi ?

Did you know that lawyers in Mississippi typically charge between $150 and $356 per hour, with the average being $225? 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 $150 and $356 per hour, with the average being $225. 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 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$200
Appellate$159
Bankruptcy$309
Business$270
Civil Litigation$212
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$244
Collections$246
Commercial | Sale of Goods$259
Construction$257
Contracts$235
Corporate$264
Criminal$196
Elder Law$243
Employment | Labor$232
Family$248
Government$250
Immigration$356
Insurance$225
Intellectual PropertyCurrently unavailable
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation | Arbitration$300
Medical Malpractice$201
Other$216
Personal Injury$185
Real Estate$253
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$285
Traffic Offenses$242
Trusts$266
Wills & Estates$249
Worker's Compensation$150

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 $205. The average hourly rate for Mississippi lawyers is $225 and the average for non-lawyers is $123.

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.


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 $240, while the average hourly rate for Mississippi lawyers is $259 and non-lawyers is $142.

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.

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 85%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 89%.

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 42%, while New Hampshire 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 81%.

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%.

Mississippi's collection rate

The collection rate for Mississippi law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 85%.

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%.

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
2022 Legal Trends Report$225$259
2021 Legal Trends Report$214$247
2020 Legal Trends Report$212$245
2019 Legal Trends Report$203$234
2018 Legal Trends Report$202$234

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$205$240
2021 Legal Trends Report$197$231
2020 Legal Trends Report$191$226
2019 Legal Trends Report$185$213
2018 Legal Trends Report$182$210

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$123$142
2021 Legal Trends Report$137$158
2020 Legal Trends Report$136$157
2019 Legal Trends Report$115$132
2018 Legal Trends Report$102$117
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 $356 and $150 per hour, with the average being $225.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Mississippi?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Mississippi is $248 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Mississippi?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Mississippi is $212 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Mississippi?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Mississippi is $196 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Mississippi?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Mississippi, earning $356 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 $150 per hour on average.