The average hourly rate for lawyers in 2025 in the United States is around $313, with some variation depending on the practice area, location, and experience. Rates can range from about $200 to over $400 per hour for many lawyers, with higher amounts charged by top partners in major law firms, sometimes exceeding $2,000 per hour when billed to clients. However, the median hourly wage for lawyers is closer to $70, which reflects a broader range of experience levels and practice settings.
Average Lawyer Hourly Rates in 2025
- National average: approximately $313 per hour for legal services nationally.
- Practice area differences:
- Family Law: $250–$400 per hour
- Criminal Defense: $200–$350 per hour
- Geographic variation affects rates significantly, with higher rates in cities like New York and Washington, DC.
- Top partners at major firms may charge clients over $2,300 per hour, although this is not the take-home pay of the lawyer but the billed client rate.
Salary vs. Hourly Billing
- The average annual salary for a lawyer in the U.S. is around $107,400, which roughly translates to an hourly wage of about $50–70 depending on hours worked.
- Median hourly wage data puts it around $70.08 per hour, reflecting hourly earnings across all lawyers, including those in salaried positions.
Influencing Factors
- Lawyer hourly rates are influenced by specialization, experience, location, and the complexity of cases.
- Rates have been increasing steadily, outpacing inflation, driven by overhead costs and growing legal service demands.
Therefore, how much a lawyer makes an hour depends largely on their billing structure (hourly or salaried), experience, specialization, and client base, with average billable rates for legal services in 2025 around $313 per hour but median wages closer to $70 per hour.
