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How much should I charge as a lawyer in Texas ?

Did you know that lawyers in Texas typically charge between $127 and $495 per hour, with the average being $345? 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 $127 and $495 per hour, with the average being $345. 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 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$375
Appellate$348
Bankruptcy$495
Business$366
Civil Litigation$338
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$325
Collections$295
Commercial Sale of Goods$366
Construction$308
Contracts$369
Corporate$432
Criminal$215
Elder Law$315
Employment Labor$396
Family$337
Government$250
Immigration$341
Insurance$238
Intellectual Property$455
Juvenile$127
Mediation and Arbitration$407
Medical Malpractice$231
Other$325
Personal Injury$281
Real Estate$330
Small Claims$269
Tax$345
Traffic Offenses$303
Trusts$383
Wills and Estates$357
Worker's Compensation$173

Hourly Rates for Texas Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $308/hour

    The average hourly rate for Texas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $308. The average hourly rate for Texas lawyers is $345 and the average for non-lawyers is $177.

    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 $316/hour

    When it comes 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 $316, while the average hourly rate for Texas lawyers is $354 and non-lawyers is $182.

    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.

Texas'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 34%

    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 89%

    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%.

Texas’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$354$354
2023 Legal Trends Report$305$305
2022 Legal Trends Report$324$324
2021 Legal Trends Report$312$312
2020 Legal Trends Report$297$297

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$316$316
2023 Legal Trends Report$268$268
2022 Legal Trends Report$283$283
2021 Legal Trends Report$275$275
2020 Legal Trends Report$262$262

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$182$182
2023 Legal Trends Report$148$148
2022 Legal Trends Report$155$155
2021 Legal Trends Report$151$151
2020 Legal Trends Report$144$144

  • 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 Texas?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Texas is between $495 and $127 per hour, with the average being $345.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Texas?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Texas is $337 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Texas?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Texas is $338 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Texas?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Texas is $215 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Texas?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Texas, earning $495 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 $127 per hour on average.

Explore Lawyer Rates From Across the U.S.A.