Texas Social Work License Requirements & Programs: Become a Social Worker in TX
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Written by: Doug Wintemute | Edited by: Victoria Hudgeons
Last Updated: June 21, 2024
As an aspiring social worker in Texas, you need to meet strict licensing requirements, which may include an accredited social work degree, professional experience, and a national exam. The challenge for many, however, is figuring out what social worker license they need, what the licensure requirements are, and how to go about applying.
This guide simplifies the licensure process. Explore how to become a social worker in Texas, including details on the specific requirements for each license type.
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Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Texas Social Work Licensing Requirements
Texas has three social worker licensing levels: the licensed baccalaureate social worker (LBSW), licensed master social worker (LMSW), and the licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Each license features a unique scope of practice and eligibility requirements, including pathways for graduates with a bachelor’s in social work (BSW) or a master’s in social work (MSW).
The Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners manages the state’s social worker licensing process. In the sections that follow, we examine the practice capabilities and requirements for each license.
Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker
The LBSW equips you to support clients in a generalist non-clinical setting. Your job may include case management, interviewing and assessing clients, problem-solving, and program development. You can also pursue an independent practice recognition (IPR), which permits you to provide non-clinical social work services without supervision.
An LBSW can also help prepare you for more advanced licensure and future examinations.
Texas licensure requirements for LBSW include:
- CSWE-accredited bachelor’s degree in social work
- Passing score on the ASWB bachelor’s exam
- Completion of a Texas jurisprudence exam
Licensed Master Social Worker
The LMSW allows you to provide clinical social work services while under supervision. You can offer client assessments, counseling, and treatments, along with all the practice capabilities of an LBSW. You can also pursue the IPR recognition to work independently as an LMSW, but you cannot provide clinical services on your own.
The LMSW license enables you to complete the post-master’s supervised experience requirements for the LCSW license as well.
Texas licensure requirements for LMSW include:
- CSWE-accredited master’s degree in social work or a doctoral degree in social work
- Verification of a supervised field placement completed during university enrollment
- Passing score on the ASWB master’s exam
- Completion of a Texas jurisprudence exam
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
The LCSW enables you to provide unsupervised clinical social work services, including assessing, diagnosing, and treating various mental and behavioral conditions and disorders. You can provide therapy and counseling to individuals, families, and groups, plus any non-clinical, LBSW, and LMSW services.
While the LCSW license is the end goal for many social workers in Texas, you can pursue a council-approved supervisor designation to supervise other professionals if you wish.
Texas licensure requirements for LCSW include:
- CSWE-accredited master’s degree in social work or a doctoral degree in social work
- Verification of a supervised field placement completed during university enrollment
- Verification of 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience in social work
- Verification of 100 qualified supervision hours by an approved supervisor
- Passing score on the ASWB clinical exam
- Completion of a Texas jurisprudence exam
Social Work License Reciprocity in Texas
Texas does not have reciprocity agreements with any other states, but out-of-state licensed social workers can pursue licensure in Texas through endorsement. To qualify, you must submit an application and supplementary materials, including:
- Jurisprudence exam certificate
- Clinical supervision verification form
- Verification of out-of-state licensure form
- ASWB exam
- Official transcripts
- Fingerprinting
- National Practitioner Data Bank self-query report
When you have the above materials compiled and ready to submit, create an account on Texas’ online licensing system and upload your documents or inform the relevant third-parties where to send them.
Licensing Renewal and Continuing Education in Texas
You need to renew your social worker license every two years in Texas. Within that two-year period, you must complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education to qualify. The 30 hours must include:
- Six hours in professional ethics and values
- Three hours in cultural diversity
- Six hours in supervision
- A training course in human trafficking prevention
All Texas social work licenses cost $108 to renew. IPR designations cost $20, and supervisor designations cost $50 to renew.
MSW Programs Available in Texas
Note: This directory is from 2023.
- Abilene Christian University — Abilene (On Campus)
- Available Concentration: Advanced Generalist
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $1,323 per credit hour, $1,242 for advanced standing
- Angelo State University — San Angelo (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Advanced Generalist, Clinical Practice
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $7,247 per semester in-state, $14,590 per semester out-of-state
- Baylor University — Waco and Houston (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Clinical Practice, Community Practice
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $825 per credit hour on campus, $1,100 per credit hour online
- Our Lady of the Lake University — San Antonio and La Feria (On Campus, Online
- Available Concentration: Hispanic Children and Families
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $981 per credit hour on campus, $962 per credit hour online
- Prairie View A&M University — Online
- Available Concentrations: Medical Social Work, Behavioral Health
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $363 per credit hour in-state, $846 per credit hour out-of-state
- Stephen F. Austin State University — Woodland (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentration: Advanced Generalist in Rural Context
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: On campus: $567 per credit hour in-state, $597 border state, $975 out-of-state; Online: $600 per credit hour in-state, $630 border state, $1,008 out-of-state
- Tarleton State University — Stephenville, Waco, and Fort Worth (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Advanced Direct Practice, Administration and Leadership
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $509 per credit hour in-state, $775 out-of-state
- Texas A&M University – Texarkana — Texarkana (On Campus)
- Available Concentrations: Clinical or Direct Practice
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $1,173 per three credit hours in-state and border states, $1,288 contiguous states; $2,742 per three credit hours for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and international students
- Texas A&M University – Commerce — Commerce, Mesquite, and McKinney (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Advanced Generalist
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $758 per credit hour in-state, $1,166 per credit hour out-of-state
- Texas A&M University – Kingsville — Kingsville (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Advanced Generalist
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $6,157 per year in-state, $14,344 per year out-of-state
- Texas Christian University — Fort Worth (On Campus, Hybrid)
- Available Concentration: Health and Mental Health, Children and Families
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $1,985 per credit hour
- Texas State University — San Marcos (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Advanced Generalist
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $357 per credit hour in-state, $765 per credit hour out-of-state
- Texas Tech University — Lubbock (On Campus)
- Available Concentrations: Advanced Generalist
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $8,653 per year in-state, $16,180 per year out-of-state
- University of Houston — Houston (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Health and Behavioral Health, Social Work with Latinos, Political Social Work, Individualized Specialization
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $376-$475 per credit hour in-state, $884-$983 per credit hour out-of-state
- University of Texas at Arlington — Arlington and Fort Worth (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Community and Administrative Practice, Direct Practice in Aging, Direct Practice in Children and Families, Direct Practice in Health, Direct Practice in Mental Health and Substance Misuse
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $11,044 per year in-state, $21,482 per year out-of-state
- University of Texas at Austin — Austin (On Campus)
- Available Concentrations: Clinical Social Work, Administration and Policy Practice
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $1,400 per semester in-state; $2,011 per semester out-of-state
- University of Texas at El Paso — El Paso (On Campus)
- Available Concentration: Social Work in the Border Region
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $335 per credit hour in-state, $860 per credit hour out-of-state
- University of Texas at San Antonio — San Antonio (On Campus)
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $348 per credit hour in-state, $1,345 out-of-state
- University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley — Edinburg and Brownsville (Hybrid, Online)
- Available Concentrations: Community Practice and Administration; Direct Practice with Latino Individuals, Families, and Groups
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: $1,585 per three credit hour in-state; $2,809 per credit hour out-of-state
- West Texas A&M University — Canyon and Amarillo (On Campus, Online)
- Available Concentration: Advanced Generalist
- Enrollment Type: Full Time, Part Time, Advanced Standing
- 2023 Tuition: On-campus: $7,502 per year in-state, $15,171 per year, out-of-state; Online: $7,681 per year in-state, $15,350 per year out-of-state
Texas Social Worker Career and Salary Information
The professional outlook for social work careers appears strong in Texas. Depending on your interests and licensure level, you can specialize in working with families, schools, or clients experiencing addiction. Your job could take you into mental health clinics, hospitals, or non-clinical community and social service programs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects higher than 13% growth for all four social worker occupational groups in Texas between 2020 and 2030. The state also employs some of the nation’s largest workforces in these professions.
Use the table below to compare the average social worker salaries in Texas with the $62,880 national mean annual wage for all social workers.
| Occupation | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $50,630 | $24.34 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $64,120 | $30.83 |
| Mental Health and Substance Use Social Workers | $47,660 | $22.91 |
| Social Workers, All Other | $81,230 | $39.05 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Social Work
What are the different types of social workers in Texas?
Texas has three primary licensure types: the LBSW, the LMSW, and the LCSW. Licensed social workers can pursue additional designations as well, such the IPR and supervisor designations.
How do I get licensed as a social worker in Texas?
The licensure requirements depend on the license type. A CSWE-accredited BSW is required at minimum for the LBSW, and a CSWE-accredited MSW is required at minimum for the LMSW and LCSW. All three licenses also require the appropriate ASWB exam and Texas jurisprudence exam. Additionally, LCSWs need at least 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience and 100 supervision hours.
How much does a social worker make in Texas?
According to the BLS, the annual mean salary for social workers in Texas falls between $47,660 and $81,230. Exact salaries vary by your chosen field, license, and experience, among other factors.
How long does it take to become a social worker in Texas?
Depending on your license type and chosen pathway, it can take up to eight years to complete the LCSW licensure requirements. This includes about four years for your BSW, two years for your MSW, and two years for the post-master’s clinical experience.
