How much should I charge as a lawyer in Texas ?

Did you know that lawyers in Texas typically charge between $124 and $550 per hour, with the average being $300? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Texas 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 Texas, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Texas.

Hourly rates in Texas

Lawyers in Texas typically charge between $124 and $550 per hour, with the average being $300. 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 Texas by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$372
Appellate$369
Bankruptcy$506
Business$353
Civil Litigation$360
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$269
Collections$307
Commercial Sale of Goods$362
Construction$361
Contracts$354
Corporate$443
Criminal$189
Elder Law$320
Employment Labor$418
Family$346
Government$256
Immigration$320
Insurance$223
Intellectual Property$410
Juvenile$124
Mediation and Arbitration$405
Medical Malpractice$550
Other$323
Personal Injury$240
Real Estate$342
Small Claims$260
Tax$419
Traffic Offenses$373
Trusts$401
Wills and Estates$354
Worker's Compensation$174

Texas's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Texas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $264. The average hourly rate for Texas lawyers is $300 and the average for non-lawyers is $146.

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.


Texas'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 Texas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $268, while the average hourly rate for Texas lawyers is $305 and non-lawyers is $148.

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.

Texas'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%.

Texas's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Texas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 33%.

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%.

Texas's realization rate

The realization rate for Texas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 89%.

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%.

Texas's collection rate

The collection rate for Texas 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%.

Texas’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$300$305
2022 Legal Trends Report$313$324
2021 Legal Trends Report$301$312
2020 Legal Trends Report$286$297
2019 Legal Trends Report$280$290

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$264$268
2022 Legal Trends Report$273$283
2021 Legal Trends Report$265$275
2020 Legal Trends Report$253$262
2019 Legal Trends Report$247$256

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$146$148
2022 Legal Trends Report$150$155
2021 Legal Trends Report$146$151
2020 Legal Trends Report$139$144
2019 Legal Trends Report$137$142
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 Texas?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Texas is between $550 and $124 per hour, with the average being $300.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Texas?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Texas is $346 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Texas?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Texas is $360 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Texas?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Texas is $189 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Texas?

Medical Malpractice attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Texas, earning $550 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Texas?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Texas, earning $124 per hour on average.