How much should I charge as a lawyer in Iowa ?

Did you know that lawyers in Iowa typically charge between $108 and $508 per hour, with the average being $254? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Iowa 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 Iowa, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Iowa.

Hourly rates in Iowa

Lawyers in Iowa typically charge between $108 and $508 per hour, with the average being $254. 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 Iowa by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$281
Appellate$130
Bankruptcy$508
Business$309
Civil Litigation$277
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$274
Collections$226
Commercial Sale of Goods$345
Construction$253
Contracts$232
Corporate$250
Criminal$148
Elder Law$293
Employment Labor$293
Family$282
Government$218
Immigration$223
Insurance$205
Intellectual Property$277
Juvenile$108
Mediation and Arbitration$191
Medical Malpractice$311
Other$299
Personal Injury$274
Real Estate$249
Small Claims$223
Tax$254
Traffic Offenses$353
Trusts$276
Wills and Estates$275
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

Hourly Rates for Iowa Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $241/hour

    The average hourly rate for Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $241. The average hourly rate for Iowa lawyers is $254 and the average for non-lawyers is $166.

    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 $273/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Iowa law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $273, while the average hourly rate for Iowa lawyers is $287 and non-lawyers is $188.

    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.

Iowa'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 35%

    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 81%

    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 94%

    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%.

Iowa’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$287$287
2023 Legal Trends Report$225$225
2022 Legal Trends Report$213$213
2021 Legal Trends Report$209$209
2020 Legal Trends Report$194$194

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$273$273
2023 Legal Trends Report$215$215
2022 Legal Trends Report$205$205
2021 Legal Trends Report$202$202
2020 Legal Trends Report$188$188

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$188$188
2023 Legal Trends Report$145$145
2022 Legal Trends Report$143$143
2021 Legal Trends Report$148$148
2020 Legal Trends Report$138$138
  • 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 Iowa?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Iowa is between $508 and $108 per hour, with the average being $254.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Iowa is $282 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Iowa is $277 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Iowa?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Iowa is $148 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Iowa?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Iowa, earning $508 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Iowa?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Iowa, earning $108 per hour on average.