How much should I charge as a lawyer in Oregon ?

Did you know that lawyers in Oregon typically charge between $158 and $485 per hour, with the average being $255? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Oregon 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 Oregon, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Oregon.

Hourly rates in Oregon

Lawyers in Oregon typically charge between $158 and $485 per hour, with the average being $255. 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 Oregon by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$284
Appellate$389
Bankruptcy$485
Business$357
Civil Litigation$346
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$374
Collections$383
Commercial Sale of Goods$348
Construction$213
Contracts$230
Corporate$335
Criminal$213
Elder Law$317
Employment Labor$359
Family$303
Government$237
Immigration$268
Insurance$257
Intellectual Property$397
Juvenile$158
Mediation and Arbitration$279
Medical Malpractice$475
Other$263
Personal Injury$265
Real Estate$335
Small Claims$262
Tax$351
Traffic Offenses$199
Trusts$324
Wills and Estates$320
Worker's Compensation$420

Oregon's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Oregon law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $230. The average hourly rate for Oregon lawyers is $255 and the average for non-lawyers is $133.

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.


Oregon'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 Oregon law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $224, while the average hourly rate for Oregon lawyers is $248 and non-lawyers is $129.

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.

Oregon'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%.

Oregon's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Oregon law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 34%.

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%.

Oregon's realization rate

The realization rate for Oregon law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 91%.

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%.

Oregon's collection rate

The collection rate for Oregon law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 93%.

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%.

Oregon’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$255$248
2022 Legal Trends Report$263$266
2021 Legal Trends Report$257$259
2020 Legal Trends Report$247$250
2019 Legal Trends Report$244$247

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$230$224
2022 Legal Trends Report$237$240
2021 Legal Trends Report$231$233
2020 Legal Trends Report$223$226
2019 Legal Trends Report$222$224

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$133$129
2022 Legal Trends Report$137$139
2021 Legal Trends Report$131$132
2020 Legal Trends Report$126$127
2019 Legal Trends Report$122$123
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 Oregon?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Oregon is between $485 and $158 per hour, with the average being $255.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Oregon?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Oregon is $303 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Oregon?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Oregon is $346 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Oregon?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Oregon is $213 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Oregon?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Oregon, earning $485 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Oregon?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Oregon, earning $158 per hour on average.