Become a Social Worker in Maryland
Table of Contents
- Maryland Licensed Bachelor Social Work (LBSW)
- Maryland Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW)
- Maryland Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW)
- Maryland Licensed Certified Social Worker — Clinical (LCSW-C)
- Maryland Social Work Salary
- Maryland 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 Maryland, contact the Maryland Social Work Licensing Board.
Maryland law recognizes four classes of social workers: Licensed Bachelor Social Worker, Licensed Masters Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and Licensed Certified Social Worker – Clinical. The requirements are as follows:
Sponsored Online Social Work Programs
- Join the #16 ranked Howard University School of Social Work1
- Four program tracks: Advanced Standing, Accelerated, Full Time and Extended
- Research-driven faculty dedicated to making an impact on social problems
- Prepares you to apply social work skills across practice settings
- Four areas of focus: Individuals and Families, Organizations and Community, Evaluation, and Policy Practice and Advocacy
- Three certificates: Trauma Practice, Mental Health Practice or Practice with Groups and Families.
- Four program tracks: Advanced Standing, Accelerated, Full Time and Extended
- Three academic departments: Adult Mental Health and Wellness; Children, Youth – and Families; and Social Change and Innovation
- Features field education in or near students’ own communities.
- Traditional and Advanced Standing tracks
- Concentrate your degree in integrated practice or clinical practice
- Ethically integrates faith and social work practice
- Specialize in clinical practice or community practice
- CWRU’s Mandel School is a top-10 ranked graduate school of social work (2019).1
- Three paths of study are available to prepare social work leaders to work in clinical or community practice.
Maryland Licensed Bachelor Social Work (LBSW)
Maryland LSWA Education Requirement: Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
Maryland LSWA Exam: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Bachelor’s Level Examination
Field Requirement: None
Fee: $100 application fee, $75 license fee, $230 ASWB examination fee
Additional Information: Criminal background check required
Endorsement: Available upon board review
License Renewal: Renewal is required every two years. Requirements for renewal are the successful completion of 30 contact hours of continuing education and payment of an $100 renewal fee.
Maryland LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker)
Maryland LGSW Education Requirement: Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
Maryland LGSW Exam: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Master’s Level Examination
Field Requirement: None
Fee: $100 application fee, $75 license fee, $230 ASWB examination fee
Additional Information: Criminal background check required
Endorsement: Available upon board review
License Renewal: Renewal is required every two years in October. Requirements for renewal are the successful completion of 40 contact hours of continuing education every two years and payment of a $226 renewal fee.
Maryland LCSW
Maryland LCSW Education Requirement: Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
Maryland LCSW Exam: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Advanced Generalist Level Examination
Field Requirement: Two years, consisting of no less than 104 weeks of at least 3,000 hours of supervised social work experience and 100 hours of periodic face-to-face supervision
Fee: $100 application fee, $75 license fee, $260 ASWB examination fee
Additional Information: Criminal background check required
Endorsement: Available upon board review
License Renewal: Renewal is required every two years in October. Requirements for renewal are the successful completion of 40 contact hours of continuing education and payment of a $301 renewal fee.
Maryland LCSW-C (Licensed Certified Social Worker — Clinical)
Maryland LCSW-C Education Requirement: Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
Maryland LCSW-C Exam: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical Level Examination
Field Requirement: Two years, consisting of no less than 104 weeks of at least 3,000 hours of supervised social work experience and 144 hours of periodic face-to-face supervision
Fee: $100 application fee, $75 license fee, $260 ASWB examination fee
Additional Information: Criminal background check required
Endorsement: Available upon board review
License Renewal: Renewal is required every two years in October. Requirements for renewal are the successful completion of 40 contact hours of continuing education and payment of a $301 renewal fee.
In order to become a licensed social work practitioner in Maryland, you will need to complete prerequisite coursework, examination requirements, and, in some cases, supervised work requirements. Also, certain levels of social work in Maryland can only be reached after completing an on-campus or online MSW program. We are committed to keeping updated information on Maryland social work licensure policies available to you.
Maryland Social Work Salary
| Maryland Social Work Career | Average Social Worker Salary |
|---|---|
| Child, Family and School Social Workers | $54,630 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $58,150 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $46,890 |
| All Other Social Workers | $66,500 |
| 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 Maryland is subject to change. Please confirm salary information with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. Last updated: 8/22/2018.
Maryland Social Work Scholarships
Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program (LARP)
Type: Loan Repayment
Amount: Varies between $4,500 and $30,000 determined by an applicant’s overall reported educational debt at the time of application.
Description: Open to Maryland residents who provide public service in Maryland. You must have earned a degree from a college in Maryland, or from any law school, or hold a resident teacher certificate from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). You must be employed full time (35+ hours per week) in state or local government or in a nonprofit organization in Maryland. Your employer must help low-income, underserved residents or underserved areas in the state. You must have educational loans from a university, government or commercial source. You may not be in default on a loan. This is a service‐based program. Your annual gross salary cannot exceed $60,000. If married, your annual gross salary cannot exceed $60,000, and your combined salaries cannot exceed $130,000. If employed as a nurse faculty member, your annual gross salary cannot exceed $75,000. If married, your annual gross salary cannot exceed $75,000, and your combined salaries cannot exceed $160,000. Prior service obligations from other State of Maryland scholarships must be completed by July 1, 2016
Additional scholarship information is available on the national page of social work scholarships.
Sponsored Online Social Work Programs
- Join the #16 ranked Howard University School of Social Work1
- Four program tracks: Advanced Standing, Accelerated, Full Time and Extended
- Research-driven faculty dedicated to making an impact on social problems
- Prepares you to apply social work skills across practice settings
- Four areas of focus: Individuals and Families, Organizations and Community, Evaluation, and Policy Practice and Advocacy
- Three certificates: Trauma Practice, Mental Health Practice or Practice with Groups and Families.
- Four program tracks: Advanced Standing, Accelerated, Full Time and Extended
- Three academic departments: Adult Mental Health and Wellness; Children, Youth – and Families; and Social Change and Innovation
- Features field education in or near students’ own communities.
- Traditional and Advanced Standing tracks
- Concentrate your degree in integrated practice or clinical practice
- Ethically integrates faith and social work practice
- Specialize in clinical practice or community practice
- CWRU’s Mandel School is a top-10 ranked graduate school of social work (2019).1
- Three paths of study are available to prepare social work leaders to work in clinical or community practice.
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.