How much should I charge as a lawyer in Pennsylvania ?

Did you know that lawyers in Pennsylvania typically charge between $139 and $613 per hour, with the average being $302? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Pennsylvania.

Hourly rates in Pennsylvania

Lawyers in Pennsylvania typically charge between $139 and $613 per hour, with the average being $302. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $462 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $195.

Hourly rates in Pennsylvania by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$190
Appellate$240
Bankruptcy$344
Business$315
Civil Litigation$303
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$308
Collections$275
Commercial Sale of Goods$258
Construction$317
Contracts$329
Corporate$354
Criminal$216
Elder Law$293
Employment Labor$357
Family$259
Government$214
Immigration$408
Insurance$211
Intellectual Property$412
Juvenile$411
Mediation and Arbitration$432
Medical Malpractice$144
Other$360
Personal Injury$248
Real Estate$339
Small Claims$350
Tax$308
Traffic Offenses$613
Trusts$352
Wills and Estates$313
Worker's Compensation$139

Hourly Rates for Pennsylvania Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $288/hour

    The average hourly rate for Pennsylvania law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $288. The average hourly rate for Pennsylvania lawyers is $302 and the average for non-lawyers is $197.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $427, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $192.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $462, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $195.

  • Adjusted for cost of living is $299/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Pennsylvania law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $299, while the average hourly rate for Pennsylvania lawyers is $314 and non-lawyers is $204.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $399, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $215.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $432, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $219.

Pennsylvania'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 34%.

    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 25%.

  • Realization rate 85%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 87%.

    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: District of Columbia has the highest collection rate for law firms at 96%, while West Virginia has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 86%.

Pennsylvania’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$314$314
2023 Legal Trends Report$299$299
2022 Legal Trends Report$295$295
2021 Legal Trends Report$292$292
2020 Legal Trends Report$286$286

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$299$299
2023 Legal Trends Report$283$283
2022 Legal Trends Report$278$278
2021 Legal Trends Report$276$276
2020 Legal Trends Report$273$273

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$204$204
2023 Legal Trends Report$190$190
2022 Legal Trends Report$186$186
2021 Legal Trends Report$186$186
2020 Legal Trends Report$191$191
  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2024)

    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 Pennsylvania?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Pennsylvania is between $613 and $139 per hour, with the average being $302.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Pennsylvania?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Pennsylvania is $259 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Pennsylvania?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Pennsylvania is $303 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Pennsylvania?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Pennsylvania is $216 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 $613 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Pennsylvania?

Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Pennsylvania, earning $139 per hour on average.