Florida Licensed Social Worker Job Outlook
What's it like being a licensed social worker in Florida? Take a look at where the profession stands compared to other areas of the country.
Florida Social Work Employment Demand
Florida has the 5th highest employment demand for healthcare social workers in the United States. The Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach metropolitan area has the 4th highest concentration of social workers of any metro area in the country.
In Florida, there are more medical facilities than average, and the population is older than average. This likely explains Florida's strong social work demand. As long as retirees swarm to Florida's warm climate and beaches, there will be a demand for social workers to take care of them.
Florida Social Work Salary Information
Healthcare social workers in Florida make around $54,000 a year, on average. That puts it slightly lower than the average wage in Florida, which is $64,000 per year. No one goes into the helping profession for the money, though – and licensed social workers in Florida make well over the living wage in Florida, which is around $30,000 per year.
Here are a few schools in with CACREP-accredited counseling programs:- Barry University: M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling M.S. in School Counseling Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
- Florida Atlantic University: M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling M.Ed. in School Counseling Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
- Florida Gulf Coast University: M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Consider a Featured Online Counseling Program
| School and Program Information | Online Program? Entry Requirements |
Course Information |
|---|---|---|
| Walden University
MS in School Counseling
 CACREP Accredited |
✔ Online
GRE scores not required |
School counselors help students overcome obstacles and shape successful futures. Walden’s online MS in School Counseling program will give you a solid foundation in school counseling theories, approaches, and best practices while enabling you to gain hands-on experience. Learn More |
| Walden University
MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling
CACREP Accredited |
✔ Online
GRE scores not required |
The counseling field is in need of qualified, compassionate professionals like you to meet the demand for services. In Walden's clinical mental health counseling and school counseling dual degree program, you’ll gain the insights and hands-on training to positively impact the lives of children, adults, and families. Learn More |
| Walden University
MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
CACREP Accredited |
✔ Online
GRE scores not required |
Mental health counselors play a valuable role in helping people cope with life’s challenges. Walden’s online MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program can help you become the competent, compassionate counselor you know you can be. Learn More |
| Liberty University
MA: Addiction Counseling
SACSCOC |
✔ Online
100% online, 8-week courses |
Our graduate degree in addiction counseling is designed to fulfill or exceed the requirements for many national and state board organizations. Online and on campus. Training Champions for Christ since 1971. Learn More |
| Grand Canyon University
Master's Degree in Counseling
HLC and NASAC Accredited |
✔ 100% Online
Over 14 Specializations Available |
Affordable with No Out of State Tuition Learn More |
| Capella University
PsyD in School Psychology
|
✔ Online
No GRE or GMAT. Master's and minimum 3.0 GPA |
Deepen your understanding of human behavior and advance your skills to help others with a degree in clinical psychology. Capella offers PsyD programs to help you develop leadership skills for your career. No GRE required. Learn More |
| Liberty University
MSW: Social Work
SACSCOC |
✔ Online
100% online, 8-week courses |
This program offers a general cognate and an individual and family clinical cognate. No matter which option you choose, you’ll receive advanced generalist training in social policy, research, and practice — as well as the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in your field. Online and on campus. Training Champions for Christ since 1971. Learn More |
| Liberty University
MED: School Counseling
CACREP Accredited |
✔ Online
Online with required intensives |
Liberty University’s CACREP-accredited Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling can help equip you to work as a school counselor in Christian, public, and private schools. Online and on campus. Training Champions for Christ since 1971. Learn More |
| Liberty University
MA: Marriage and Family Therapy
SACSCOC |
✔ Online
Online with required intensives |
A Liberty University marriage and family therapy master’s program online can prepare you to help individuals, couples, and families find healing through counseling. Online and on campus. Training Champions for Christ since 1971. Learn More |
*Sponsored Counseling Programs
Snapshot: Online CACREP Accredited Programs
Online CACREP Accredited programs | Online MPCAC Accredited programs
Types of Social Work Licensure in Florida
Florida's social work licensure is regulated by the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. This regulatory body offers three types of licensure to those with a Master's in Social Worker degree.
Certified Master Social Worker
Certified Master Social Worker is a form of social work licensure in Florida that is not commonly sought. CMSW licensure does not allow you to practice clinical social work. Instead, this license is used by those in social work administration and teaching roles to maintain officially licensed status.
Educational Requirements
To be eligible for social work licensure in Florida as a CMSW, you must have your Master's degree from an accredited school of Social Work. In the social work world, "accredited" means approved by the Council on Social Work Education. Typically, an MSW program takes 1-2 years to complete, depending on previous education and program type.
Experience Requirements
The Florida social work licensure requirements state that an applicant who wants to become a Certified Master Social Worker must have three years of experience in the Social Work field. Two of those years must be post-master's degree completion and under the supervision of a licensed social worker.
Walden University - MS in School Counseling (CACREP Accredited)
Walden University - MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CACREP Accredited)
Liberty University - MA: Addiction Counseling (SACSCOC Accredited)
Grand Canyon University - Master's Degree in Counseling (NASAC Accredited)
Capella University - PsyD in School Psychology (Capella University is HLC Accredited)
Liberty University - MSW: Social Work (SACSCOC Accredited)
Liberty University - MED: School Counseling (CACREP and NCATE through CAEP Accredited)
Liberty University - MA: Marriage and Family Therapy (SACSCOC Accredited)
Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern
The second type of Florida social work licensure is a Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern. The RCSWI designates mental health professionals working in the field under the supervision of another while gaining experience to earn their license.
Educational Requirements
RCSWI applicants must also have their MSW degrees. Florida rules specify that RCSWI applicants must complete a certain amount of coursework related to clinical social work (as opposed to community or administrative social work) within the degree program.
Experience Requirements
Because the RCSWI licensure is required to begin gaining experience towards full licensure, no prerequisite work experience is required.
Before being approved, RCSWI applicants must obtain a letter from a qualified social work supervisor stating that they have agreed to provide the supervision hours necessary for Florida social work licensure.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
The final and highest social work licensure in Florida is the Licensed Clinical Social Worker. LCSWs can independently provide clinical social work services, such as psychotherapy, and bill insurance for these treatments.
Educational Requirements
Since candidates for LCSW must first be Registered Clinical Social Work Interns, it follows that they must also have a master’s degree.
Social work licensure in Florida requires the completion of additional coursework, if not completed during an MSW program. Those courses include topics like Florida Law & Rules, HIV/Aids, and Domestic Violence.
Experience Requirements
To move from RCSWI to LCSW status, a social worker must complete 1,500 hours of supervised work experience. Only actual time spent with clients in psychotherapy counts towards this total. RCSWI to LCSW applicants must also prove that they have spent 100 hours one-on-one with their supervisor, discussing clients and practice. These 100 hours must occur over at least 100 weeks, with at least 1 hour of supervision every two weeks.
Applicants can document supervision hours towards Florida’s social work licensure on a form provided online by the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling.
Examination Requirements
LCSW applicants in Florida must pass the Association of Social Work Board’s Advanced Clinical Social Work Exam. This exam consists of 170 questions, 120 of which count towards the final score. The test must be completed at an approved testing facility and takes around 4 hours to finish. Test prep materials are available online. Social workers are permitted to take the test once they have completed all MSW coursework and practicum requirements, but they don’t have to take it immediately. A copy of the exam results does not need to be submitted until social workers apply for full licensure.
Out of State Florida Social Work Licensure
Social workers moving to Florida don’t have to follow all the steps above if they are already licensed in another state – but they still need to apply for licensure in Florida. The law calls this process applying for licensure “by endorsement.”
To get Florida social work licensure “by endorsement,” out-of-state social workers must submit:
- Completed application
- Official license verification from licensing state
- Proof of completion of specific courses, including 8 hours on Florida Rules and Laws and a 3 hours HIV/AIDS course.
- Scores from the ASWB Advanced Clinical Social Work Exam
Florida MSW Programs
You may have noticed that all three forms of Florida social work licensure require a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Social work licensure in Florida is not available to anyone other than Master’s-level social workers. That means an MSW is an essential step on the journey to social work licensure in Florida. Fortunately, Florida offers many opportunities for social workers interested in going to graduate school.
Florida On-Campus MSW Programs
There are six MSW programs in the state of Florida that offer only on-campus MSW programs. Each is adequate for the requirements for social work licensure in Florida. They are:
1. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Program Length: Florida A&M offers both full-time and part-time MSW schedules, which are 2 years and 3.5 years, respectively.
Program Cost: Out-of-state students can expect to pay about 24k per year for tuition, while tuition for in-state students costs around 10k per year.
2. Florida Gulf Coast University
Program Length: FGCU offers full-time and part-time programs to both regular and advanced-standing students (advanced standing status is granted to students with a recent Bachelor’s in Social Work degree). Depending on the program, students at FGCU can complete their degree in 1-4 years.
Program Cost: Depending on residency and student status, tuition for the entire FGCU MSW program can cost anywhere from around 9k to about 36k.
3. Florida International University
Program Length: Florida International University has a 2 year, 60-credit-hour MSW program.
Program Cost: According to FIU’s tuition calculator, an out-of-state student can expect to pay 30k per year for their MSW, while an in-state student will pay about 14k.
4. Florida Atlantic University
Program Length: FAU also offers both standard and advanced standing MSW programs. The standard MSW can be completed in 2-4 years for regular students and 2-5 semesters for advanced standing students.
Program Cost: This program estimates an out-of-state cost per student of 20k in tuition per year, which goes down to just 7k for students who are Florida residents.
5. Southeastern University
Program Length: SEU’s advanced standing MSW program can be completed in 2 semesters, which is around 9 months. Their regular program takes 5 semesters to complete.
Program Cost: Advanced standing students at SEU will pay around 16k in tuition, while regular MSW students will pay closer to 30k.
6. University of North Florida
Program Length: UNC has an advanced standing MSW program that takes a year to complete. They also offer a traditional MSW option that can be finished in 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time.
Program Cost: Florida residents enrolling in the two-year program can expect to pay about 36k in tuition for the entire program. Advanced standing students will pay closer to 19k. Those enrolling from out-of-state will be charged a little more than twice the rate of in-state students.
Florida-based MSW Programs With Online Options
An MSW program doesn’t have to be physically located in Florida to provide MSW education there, so long as they have an online MSW program. However, there are six universities in the sunshine state that offer both online and on-campus MSW program options. Those programs are:
1. Barry University
Program Length: The traditional MSW program can be completed in 16-28 months, depending on whether the student is full-time or part-time. The advanced standing version takes 7-16 months, again depending on the number of hours taken.
Program Cost: A regular MSW student taking classes in-person at BU will pay about 43k in tuition. Their online program is cheaper, costing only 37k. Advanced standing students in in-person and online courses will pay around 22k and 19k, respectively.
2. Florida State University
Program Length: FSU’s full-time MSW program can be completed in 2 years by traditional students and 1 year by advanced standing students. They also offer part-time versions of the MSW program, whose completion time may vary.
Program Cost: The advanced standing option runs between 17k & 24k, depending on residency status. The traditional MSW program costs between 27 & 38k.
3. St. Leo University
Program Length: The MSW program at St. Leo’s can take between 1 & 4 years to complete. St. Leo, while located in Florida, only offers an online format for its MSW degree program.
Program Cost: 18k for advanced standing students and 35k for traditional MSW students.
4. University of Central Florida
Program Length: UCF offers both on-campus and online part-time programs for traditional and advanced standing MSW students. Traditional students can graduate from the part-time MSW in about 3 years, with advanced standing students finishing in less than two years. For full-time, on-campus students, degrees can be completed within 1-2 years.
Program Cost: Traditional students from Florida will pay about 23k in tuition total. Out-of-state students pay closer to 74k. For advanced standing, the tuition costs will be around 12k and 38k, respectively.
5. University of South Florida
Program Length: USF’s MSW program takes one to three years to complete, with a shorter duration for students who are full-time and/or advanced standing.
Program Cost: Traditional MSW students could pay around 26k if they’re Florida residents and 52k if they’re not. Advanced standing students can expect to pay around half that amount for tuition.
6. University of West Florida
Program Length: The on-campus MSW takes one to two years to complete. The online version length varies, though their site states it can take up to 10 semesters to complete.
Program Cost: UWF states that the tuition cost for their Online Traditional MSW program is around 27k, while the advanced standing version costs about 13k.
Florida only offers three licensure options to social workers, and the path to all three goes by way of a Master’s degree in social work. After graduation, social workers can complete additional courses, log work hours spent with clients, and meet regularly with an approved social work supervisor. Upon final completion of the ASWB Advanced Clinical Social Worker exam, they will be ready for full social work licensure in Florida.
Popular Online Counseling Programs
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Capella University 🗹 Online Doctorate
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Schools With Campus-Based CACREP Accredited Counseling Degrees
CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs) is the top accrediting board for counseling programs. Below, you will find a list of all of the CACREP accredited counseling programs in . Keep scrolling or jump to all programs for all programs or view online CACREP accredited counseling programs.
Barry University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 2 Year (Interim Report Required)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 4/1/1994 to 3/31/2022
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 2 Year (Interim Report Required)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 4/1/1999 to 3/31/2022
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 2 Year (Interim Report Required)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 4/1/1994 to 3/31/2022
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 2 Year (Interim Report Required)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/16/2008 to 3/31/2022
Florida Atlantic University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/5/2004 to 10/31/2023
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/7/2015 to 10/31/2023
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/5/2004 to 10/31/2023
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 7/10/2008 to 10/31/2023
Florida Gulf Coast University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/1/2004 to 10/31/2021
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/1/2004 to 10/31/2021
Florida International University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/1/2003 to 10/31/2020
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 2 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 7/1/2017 to 10/31/2020
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/1/2003 to 10/31/2020
Florida State University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 4/1/1994 to 3/31/2020
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 4/12/1994 to 3/31/2020
Hodges University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 7/11/2012 to 3/31/2022
Jacksonville University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 12/1/2017 to 10/31/2027
Lynn University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/13/2018 to 10/31/2027
Rollins College
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 10/1/1992 to 10/31/2024
South University, West Palm Beach
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 7/9/2013 to 3/31/2023
Stetson University
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 9/1/2000 to 10/31/2026
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 9/1/2000 to 10/31/2026
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 3/1/2002 to 5/31/2019
University of Central Florida
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 5/1/1996 to 3/31/2021
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 7/8/2008 to 3/31/2021
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 5/1/1996 to 3/31/2021
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 9/1/2000 to 3/31/2021
University of Florida
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 10/1/1979 to 8/31/2020
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 3/1/1995 to 8/31/2020
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 3/1/1995 to 8/31/2020
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year (Re-Accreditation In-Process)
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 10/1/1979 to 8/31/2020
University of North Florida
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 5/1/1997 to 3/31/2022
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 5/1/1997 to 3/31/2022
University of South Florida
- CACREP Status: Accredited, 8 Year
- CACREP Accreditation Runs: 1/7/2015 to 10/31/2023
All Accredited Schools with Counseling Degrees in
View all programs in below, or jump to all CACREP accredited counseling programs.Barry University Miami
- Doctorate - Clinical Counseling
- Doctorate - Counseling Psychology
- M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.S. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling
- M.S. in School Counseling
- Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
City College-Gainesville Gainesville
- Associates - Mental Health Counseling
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton
- Doctorate - School Counseling
- M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
- M.Ed. in School Counseling
- Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
Florida Gulf Coast University Ft. Myers
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.A. in School Counseling
Florida International University Miami
- M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling
- M.S. in School Counseling
Florida State University Tallahassee
- Doctorate - Marriage and Family Therapy
- Doctorate - School Counseling
- M.S./Ed.S. in Career Counseling
- M.S./Ed.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Hobe Sound Bible College Hobe Sound
- Associates - Counseling Psychology
- Bachelors - Counseling Psychology
Hodges University Ft. Myers
- M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Jacksonville University Jacksonville
- M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Lynn University Boca Raton
- M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale
- Doctorate - Marriage and Family Therapy
Rollins College Winter Park
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary Deerfield Beach
- Bachelors - Counseling Psychology
South University, West Palm Beach Royal Palm Beach
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Stetson University DeLand
- M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.S. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling
- M.S. in School Counseling
Trinity Baptist College Jacksonville
- Bachelors - Counseling Psychology
University of Central Florida Orlando
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.A. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling
- M.A./M.Ed. in School Counseling
- Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
University of Florida Gainesville
- Doctorate - Counseling Psychology
- Doctorate - Marriage and Family Therapy
- Doctorate - Mental Health Counseling
- Doctorate - School Counseling
- Ed.D./Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
- M.S./Ed.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.S./Ed.S. in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling
- M.S./Ed.S. in School Counseling
University of Miami Coral Gables
- Doctorate - Counseling Psychology
University of North Florida Jacksonville
- M.Ed. in School Counseling
- M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
University of South Florida Tampa
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
