How much should I charge as a lawyer in Maryland ?

Did you know that lawyers in Maryland typically charge between $168 and $518 per hour, with the average being $344? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Maryland 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 Maryland, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Maryland.

Hourly rates in Maryland

Lawyers in Maryland typically charge between $168 and $518 per hour, with the average being $344. 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 Maryland by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$300
Appellate$382
Bankruptcy$449
Business$318
Civil Litigation$315
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$341
Collections$366
Commercial Sale of Goods$351
Construction$321
Contracts$363
Corporate$474
Criminal$253
Elder Law$376
Employment Labor$360
Family$324
Government$177
Immigration$518
Insurance$246
Intellectual Property$491
Juvenile$168
Mediation and Arbitration$280
Medical Malpractice$274
Other$342
Personal Injury$315
Real Estate$348
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$478
Traffic Offenses$461
Trusts$436
Wills and Estates$340
Worker's Compensation$173

Hourly Rates for Maryland Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $322/hour

    The average hourly rate for Maryland law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $322. The average hourly rate for Maryland lawyers is $344 and the average for non-lawyers is $214.

    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 $306/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Maryland law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $306, while the average hourly rate for Maryland lawyers is $327 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.

Maryland'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 32%

    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 88%

    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%.

Maryland’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$327$327
2023 Legal Trends Report$291$291
2022 Legal Trends Report$289$289
2021 Legal Trends Report$283$283
2020 Legal Trends Report$277$277

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$306$306
2023 Legal Trends Report$270$270
2022 Legal Trends Report$265$265
2021 Legal Trends Report$263$263
2020 Legal Trends Report$260$260

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$204$204
2023 Legal Trends Report$165$165
2022 Legal Trends Report$148$148
2021 Legal Trends Report$154$154
2020 Legal Trends Report$161$161
  • 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 Maryland?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Maryland is between $518 and $168 per hour, with the average being $344.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Maryland?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Maryland is $324 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Maryland?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Maryland is $315 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Maryland?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Maryland is $253 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Maryland?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Maryland, earning $518 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Maryland?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Maryland, earning $168 per hour on average.