Become a Social Worker in California

There may be additional methods of certification that have not been covered here. Please contact your state social work licensing department for more information.

Table of Contents

California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
California Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW)
California Social Work Salary
California Social Work Scholarships

Disclaimer: Due to the rapidly changing nature of social work regulations, for the most up-to-date information on becoming a social worker in California, contact the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

California law recognizes two classes of social workers: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW). The requirements are as follows:

California LCSW

California ACSW (Associate Clinical Social Worker)

In order to become a licensed social work practitioner in California, you will need to complete prerequisite coursework, examination requirements, and, in some cases, supervised work requirements. Also, certain levels of social work in California can only be reached after earning a Master of Social Work. We are committed to keeping updated information on California social work licensure policies available to you.

California Social Work Salary

California Social Work Salary
California Social Work Career	Average Social Worker Salary
Child, Family and School Social Workers	$55,830
Healthcare Social Workers	$72,770
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	$55,730
All Other Social Workers	$66,300
Salary Increase from BSW to MSW	+$9,000

Disclaimer: Social Worker Salary information is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information about social worker salaries in California is subject to change. Please confirm salary information with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. Last updated: 08/22/2018.

California Social Work Scholarships

To find the most up-to-date and pertinent grant information, visit: Government Grants website.

Sponsored Online Social Work Programs

Sponsored Online Social Work Programs
School	Program Description
University of Denver	Research-driven faculty dedicated to making an impact on social problems Prepares you to apply social work skills across practice settings
Fordham University	Four areas of focus: Individuals and Families, Organizations and Community, Evaluation, and Policy Practice and Advocacy
Simmons University	Four Clinical Specializations: Child and Family, Trauma and Interpersonal Violence, Mental Health and Addictions, and Health and Aging Three program tracks: Traditional, Accelerated, and Extended
Case Western Reserve University	From Case Western Reserve University’s top-10 ranked School of social work Traditional and Advanced Standing tracks available
University of Southern California (USC)	Offered by USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, a top-ranked graduate School by U.S. News and World Report Features virtual and in-person field education in or near student's own communities
Baylor University	Ethically integrates faith and social work practice Specialize in clinical practice or community practice

Sponsored Online Social Work Programs

Licensure information including requirements, renewals, and fees were retrieved as of August 2018. Information may have changed since, check with the state's board of licensing for more information.


                {"admissionsEmail": "admissions@msw.usc.edu", "degreeOffering": "usc-msw", "fields": [{"hidden": false, "label": "What is your highest level of education completed?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "level_of_education", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "High School", "value": "High School"}, {"label": "Associate\u0027s", "value": "Associates"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s in progress", "value": "Bachelors in progress"}, {"label": "Bachelor\u0027s", "value": "Bachelors"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s in progress", "value": "Masters in progress"}, {"label": "Master\u0027s", "value": "Masters"}, {"label": "Doctorate", "value": "Doctorate"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "What was your undergraduate GPA?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "stated_gpa_range", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "4.00 and above", "value": "4.00 and above"}, {"label": "3.99 - 3.50", "value": "3.99 - 3.50"}, {"label": "3.49 - 3.00", "value": "3.49 - 3.00"}, {"label": "2.99 - 2.50", "value": "2.99 - 2.50"}, {"label": "2.49 and below", "value": "2.49 and below"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Do you have a BSW or are you enrolled in a BSW program?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "bsw", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "Yes", "value": "Yes"}, {"label": "No", "value": "No"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Are you a member of the military?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "military_affiliated", "required": true, "type": 2, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "Yes", "value": "true"}, {"label": "No", "value": "false"}]}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Last Name", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "last_name", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "First Name", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "first_name", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Email", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "email", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Which best describes you?", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "which_best_describes_you", "required": true, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "", "options": [{"label": "I am starting my career", "value": "I am starting my career"}, {"label": "I want to advance my career", "value": "I want to advance my career"}]}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "hidden": false, "label": "Phone", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "phone", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Zip", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "zip_code", "required": true, "type": 0, "value": {"text": ""}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "Country of Residence", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "country", "required": true, "type": 6, "value": {}}, {"hidden": false, "label": "State", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "state", "required": true, "type": 5, "value": {}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "Degree Interest", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "degree", "required": false, "type": 3, "value": {"defaultOption": "MSW", "options": [{"label": "DSW", "value": "DSW"}, {"label": "MSW", "value": "MSW"}]}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "hidden": false, "label": "US Marketing Consent \u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00ba\u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00b8", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "lead_share_opt_in", "required": true, "type": 11, "value": {"checkboxText": "Please contact me about these educational programs.", "defaultChecked": true, "defaultRadio": "none", "disclaimer": "USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work\u0027s technology partner, [--link:https://2u.com target:blank]2U, Inc.,[link--] and its family of companies, work with multiple universities to offer educational programs in social work and other fields.", "format": "checkbox", "optInValue": "USC Marketing", "smsHiddenConsent": false}}, {"conditionallyRendered": true, "hidden": false, "label": "GDPR Marketing Consent \u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00aa\u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00ba", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "lead_share_opt_in", "required": true, "type": 8, "value": {"disclaimer": "This personal data is collected and processed by [--link:https://2u.com target:blank]2U, Inc.,[link--] USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work\u0027s technology partner.", "leadShareOptIn": {"email": "Please email me about these educational programs.", "leadShareValue": "USC Marketing", "phone": "", "sms": "", "text": "USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work\u0027s technology partner, [--link:https://2u.com target:blank]2U, Inc.,and its family of companies,[link--] work with multiple universities to offer educational programs in social work and other fields."}, "retailOptIn": {"email": "Email:", "phone": "Phone:", "sms": "", "text": "Yes, I want to receive additional information about USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Please contact me via:"}}}, {"hidden": true, "label": "", "mountPoint": 1, "name": "no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent", "required": true, "type": 9, "value": {"gdprOnly": "false"}}], "grouping": "usc-msw", "id": 159, "published": "2020-01-14T20:51:04.435Z", "screens": [{"allFields": [15, 7], "conditional": {}, "out": {"1": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [0, 1, 2, 3], "conditional": {}, "out": {"2": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [5, 4, 6], "conditional": {}, "out": {"3": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}, {"allFields": [11, 9, 10, 8, 12, 13, 14], "conditional": {"13": [1, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent"}, {"data": "true"}, {"op": 1}, {"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 1}, {"op": 7}]], "14": [1, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_gdpr_only_consent"}, {"data": "true"}, {"op": 0}, {"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 0}, {"op": 8}]], "8": [3, "", [{"data": "state.no_klondike_carmen_sandiego_region"}, {"data": "eu"}, {"op": 0}]]}, "out": {"-1": ["$next", [{"data": "$valid"}]]}}], "version": "1.0.1"}