Become a Social Worker in Maryland

Table of Contents

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

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.

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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.