Become a Social Worker in Michigan

Michigan has navigated major public challenges over the past decade, including Detroit’s 2013 bankruptcy and the Flint water crisis that began in 2014, but it remains a place many social workers choose for its diverse communities, strong local institutions, and wide range of service needs. The Detroit–Warren–Dearborn metro area is one of Michigan’s largest employment hubs and supports a substantial number of social work roles, including positions focused on children and families as well as behavioral health and substance use. Smaller Michigan metros can also have above-average concentrations of certain social work positions depending on local employers and community needs, so it can be helpful to compare both large and smaller regions when researching job opportunities.

Social Work Degree Programs in Michigan

Michigan has a wide range of social work programs, including CSWE-accredited options at the BSW and MSW levels, as well as programs that may be in candidacy or pre-candidacy status. Because accreditation and program status can change, the most reliable way to confirm whether a specific Michigan program is currently accredited (or in candidacy/pre-candidacy) is to check the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs.

It’s also helpful to understand how education connects to licensure: Michigan’s LMSW license can carry a Clinical designation, a Macro designation, or both, but those designations are determined through Michigan’s supervised-experience and exam requirements, not simply by choosing a concentration in an MSW program.

Social Work Licenses in Michigan

Michigan’s social work licenses are structured so that at each level, a limited level precedes it during which an individual accrues field experience hours. Information below was retrieved from Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) – Michigan Board of Social Work.

Limited Social Service Technician (L-SST)

• Education/Work Requirements: Two years of college in any field from a regionally accredited university, and must be currently employed or offered employment in a human, social services or social work environment.
• Field Requirements: None to obtain; LSST is used to accrue supervised experience toward full SST registration.
• Exam: N/A

Social Service Technician (SST)

• Education/Work Requirements: SST is a registration (not a license). To qualify, you must meet one of the following: (1) earn an associate degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program; or (2) be currently employed in a social or human services setting and complete at least 2,000 hours of supervised social work experience over at least one year; or (3) be currently employed in social or human services and complete two years of college that include at least four courses related to human services needs.
• Field Requirements: If qualifying through the experience route, you must document 2,000 supervised hours over at least one year; otherwise, no additional field hours are required to obtain SST beyond any required employment verification.
• Exam: N/A

Limited Licensed Bachelor’s Social Worker (L-LBSW)

• Education Requirements: A limited bachelor’s social work license is issued for the purpose of accumulating the supervised experience required for full LBSW licensure. To qualify, you must have completed the educational requirements for bachelor-level social work licensure (i.e., a bachelor’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program).
• Field Requirements: None to obtain; LLBSW is the credential you hold while you earn the required supervised experience toward full LBSW licensure.
• Exam: N/A (the ASWB Bachelor’s exam is required for the full LBSW, not the limited license).

Licensed Bachelor’s Social Worker (LBSW)

• Education Requirements: A bachelor’s degree from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Field Requirements: 4,000 hours of supervised post-bachelor’s experience completed over at least a two-year period. If the experience is earned in Michigan, it must be earned while holding an active Limited Bachelor’s Social Worker (LLBSW) license.
• Exam: ASWB Bachelor’s exam
• License Renewal: Michigan full social work licenses are valid for 3 years from the date of issuance (not tied to a single statewide April 30 date). Licenses are typically eligible for renewal 90 days before the listed expiration date.

Limited Licensed Master Social Worker (L-LMSW / LLMSW)

• Education Requirements: A master’s or doctoral degree at a CSWE-accredited program.
• Field Requirements: None to obtain; the LLMSW is the credential you hold while completing the required post-degree supervised experience toward full LMSW licensure (Clinical, Macro, or both, depending on the designation you’re pursuing).
• Exam: N/A (the ASWB exam is required for the full LMSW, not the limited license).

Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW)

• Education Requirements: A master’s (or doctoral) degree from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Field Requirements: 4,000 hours of post-master’s supervised social work experience completed over at least a two-year period. If the experience is gained in Michigan, you must hold an active Limited LMSW (LLMSW) while accruing the hours, and the setting must align with your designation (Clinical, Macro, or both).
• Exam: Pass the ASWB exam that matches your designation—ASWB Clinical for the Clinical designation or ASWB Advanced Generalist for the Macro designation (or both, if applicable). Michigan verifies completion of the required 4,000 hours before authorizing exam eligibility.

Learn more about an LMSW License.

L-LMSW or LMSW Specialty Designations

• To add an additional LMSW specialty designation (e.g., adding Clinical to a Macro license or adding Macro to a Clinical license), you must have either an active license in the other specialty designation or an active Limited LMSW (LLMSW). You must then complete 2,000 additional hours of post-degree social work experience in the second specialty area over at least one year, including at least 50 hours of supervisory review, and meet any exam/application requirements for the added designation.

Social Work Salaries for Michigan

Information on the above social work salaries in Michigan was retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Michigan in January 2026.

Learn more about different social work salaries.

Michigan Social Worker Scholarships

There are many opportunities to gain financial support for your social work degree in Michigan. Social work scholarships, grants and fellowships may help support your career pathway. Make a point of searching for scholarship possibilities with local and state agencies, your library’s reference section, community organizations, faith-based organizations and professional associations affiliated with social work. Here are some places to start:

• University of Michigan – MSW Program Grants and Scholarships: U-M’s School of Social Work maintains a searchable list of scholarship and grant opportunities. Most awards are considered through the School’s Financial Aid Application, while some require a separate application.
• Michigan State University – School of Social Work Scholarships: MSU posts School of Social Work scholarship opportunities and an annual application window for newly admitted and current MSW students.
• Eastern Michigan University (EMU) – Social Work Scholarships: EMU’s School of Social Work lists current scholarship options, eligibility requirements, and the annual application window.
• Western Michigan University (WMU) – School of Social Work Scholarships and Financial Aid: WMU posts School of Social Work scholarship opportunities, deadlines, and application instructions (including applying through ScholarshipUniverse).
• National Association of Social Work (NASW) – Michigan Chapter: NASW-Michigan awards two annual Student Leadership in Diversity Scholarships for social work students; details and eligibility requirements are posted by the chapter each year.
• Wayne State University – MSW Scholarships and Financial Aid: Wayne State provides School of Social Work scholarship opportunities and a centralized application process; the school notes that it provides substantial private scholarship and stipend support to social work students.
• Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP): The MLPP awards an annual scholarship to honor Maurice P. Beck, who devoted his life to social work and community organizations in Michigan.

Michigan Social Worker Organizations

Michigan students and social workers will find many organizations available. Here are some primary ones:

• National Association of Social Work (NASW) – Michigan Chapter: The state chapter of NASW supports professional social workers through advocacy, resources, and professional development and works to advance sound social policies across Michigan.
• Michigan Association of School Social Workers (MASSW): MASSW is Michigan’s statewide professional association dedicated to school social work. MASSW notes that MSW students and recent MSW-SSW graduates (within the past year) may be eligible for free membership (documentation required).
• National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) – Michigan Chapters: NABSW lists Michigan chapters in Flint, Greater Detroit, and Lansing, as well as a University of Michigan student chapter.