March is National Social Worker Month, and we encourage anyone who knows a social worker to take the opportunity to thank him or her for all they do.

And, if you’ve ever considered becoming a social worker, March is a great time to explore that opportunity.

There are more than 700,000 social workers across the U.S., more than 30,000 of them in Michigan, working in all kinds of fields, from child advocacy and protection to behavioral health to hospitals and hospice.

“Our mission is to help the vulnerable,” Karen Wagner, a social worker with Hospice of Michigan’s Alpena team, told News staff writer Mike Gonzalez for a recent story.

Social workers typically need a bachelor’s or master’s degree and, in Michigan, need licenses for the work they do, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They make a bit more than $55,000 a year, on average. It’s one of the fastest-growing jobs in America, with the number of social worker jobs expected to grow 7% between now and 2032, with nearly 64,000 job openings expected each year.

Social workers usually work as part of a team with doctors or teachers or others to make sure the people they work with have as few barriers to success — whatever success looks like in each particular field — as possible.

It’s important and often thankless work, and we’re glad to see their work recognized on a state and national level.

Thank you, social workers, for all you do.