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How Much Should I Charge as a Lawyer in Pennsylvania?

Updated March 2026

Average hourly rates for lawyers, non-lawyers, and law firms in Pennsylvania is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals across the U.S. This data is updated annually and published with additional research and analysis in Clio’s Legal Trends Report.

Key takeaways

  • As of 2025, the average hourly rate for a lawyer in Pennsylvania is $311, compared to $349 in the US. Based on practice area, rates in Pennsylvania can range from $126 to $557.
  • As of 2025, the average hourly rate for non-lawyers in Pennsylvania is $197, compared to $187 in the US. Based on practice area, non-lawyer rates in Pennsylvania can range from $116 to $314.
  • The average hourly rate that law firms charge in Pennsylvania is $292 (compared to $311 in the US), which is a blended rate that takes into account both lawyer and non-lawyer rates. Based on the practice area, how much law firms charge in Pennsylvania can range from $136 to $432.

Compare hourly rates to national averages and other states

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  • All of Clio’s research is published annually in the Legal Trends Report, which features in-depth analysis on the latest trends in AI technology and adoption, consumer perspectives on legal services, and this year, a first-of-its kind neurological study of legal professionals.

    Read the report

Hourly rates for legal services in Pennsylvania

Compare average hourly rates for lawyers, non-lawyers, and law firms in Pennsylvania. “Non-lawyer” rates refer to non-licensed legal professionals like paralegals and other firm administrative staff. “Law firm” rates are a blended average of lawyer and non-lawyer rates.


Average lawyer hourly rates
Average non-lawyer hourly rates
Average law firm hourly rates
State average $311 $197 $292
High $492 $237 $456
Low $196 $118 $186
Industry average $349 $187 $311

Compare hourly rates to national averages and other states

Hourly rates for legal services by practice area in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, hourly rates differ based on the types of services and practice areas offered by lawyers and their law firms


Practice area
Average lawyer hourly rate
Administrative$209
Appellate$278
Bankruptcy$378
Business$322
Civil Litigation$344
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$303
Collections$277
Commercial Sale of Goods$359
Construction$379
Contracts$307
Corporate$403
Criminal$192
Elder Law$306
Employment Labor$377
Family$283
Government$204
Immigration$324
Insurance$202
Intellectual Property$448
Juvenile$126
Mediation and Arbitration$328
Medical Malpractice$224
Other$327
Personal Injury$245
Real Estate$344
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$283
Traffic Offenses$557
Trusts$383
Wills and Estates$338
Worker's Compensation$147

Key performance indicators in Pennsylvania

Key performance indicators (KPIs) offer valuable insights into a firm’s performance in Pennsylvania. 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
Realization rate
Collection rate
What is it? How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. How much revenue-generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm.
Pennsylvania average 39% 90% 94%
U.S. average 38% 88% 92%

Historical hourly rates in Pennsylvania


Year
Average lawyer hourly rate
Average non-lawyer hourly rate
Average law firm hourly rate
2025$311$197$292
2024$302$197$288
2023$288$183$272
2022$290$182$274
2021$287$183$271

Adjusted hourly rates in Pennsylvania

In addition to hourly rates, cost of living standards in Pennsylvania can affect overall purchasing power. Adjusted hourly rates take into account average consumer prices, and are calculated as follows.


Year
Adjusted lawyer hourly rate
Adjusted non-lawyer hourly rate
Adjusted law firm hourly rate
2025$319$202$299
2024$314$204$299
2023$299$190$283
2022$295$186$278
2021$292$186$276

Frequently asked questions

What is the hourly rate of a lawyer in Pennsylvania?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Pennsylvania is between $126 and $557 per hour, with the average being $311.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Pennsylvania?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Pennsylvania is $283 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Pennsylvania?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Pennsylvania is $344 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Pennsylvania?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Pennsylvania is $192 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Pennsylvania?

Traffic Offenses attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Pennsylvania, earning $557 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Pennsylvania?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Pennsylvania, earning $126 per hour on average.

Explore lawyer rates in the U.S.

About the Legal Trends Report

The Legal Trends Report, published by Clio, provides information on the most important issues faced within the legal profession. By analyzing aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals in the U.S., supported by extensive survey research, this report offers unique insights into law firm efficiencies, hourly rates, and other key metrics for success.

Read the report