| United States Secretary of State | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the secretary of state | |
 Flag of the secretary of state | |
.jpg) | |
| Department of State | |
| Style | Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable[1] (formal) His Excellency[2] (diplomatic) |
| Member of | Cabinet National Security Council |
| Reports to | President |
| Seat | Washington, D.C. |
| Appointer | President with Senate advice and consent |
| Constituting instrument | 22 U.S.C. § 2651 |
| Precursor | Secretary of Foreign Affairs |
| Formation | July 27, 1789 |
| First holder | Thomas Jefferson |
| Succession | Fourth[3] |
| Deputy | Deputy Secretary |
| Salary | Executive Schedule, Level I[4] |
The United States secretary of state (SecState[5]) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government and the head of the Department of State. The office holder is the second-highest-ranking member of the president's Cabinet, after the vice president, and ranks fourth in the presidential line of succession; first amongst cabinet secretaries.
Created in 1789 with Thomas Jefferson as its first office holder, the secretary of state represents the United States to foreign countries, and is therefore considered analogous to a minister of foreign affairs in other countries.[6][7] The secretary of state is nominated by the president of the United States and, following a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is confirmed by the Senate. The secretary of state, along with the secretary of the treasury, secretary of defense, and attorney general, are generally regarded as the four most crucial Cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments.[8]
Secretary of State is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level $246,400, as of January 2024.[9][4] The current secretary of state is Antony Blinken, who was confirmed on January 26, 2021, by the Senate by a vote of 78–22.[10]
- ^ "Protocol Reference". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ "United Nations Heads of State, Protocol and Liaison Service" (PDF). United Nations. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ "3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act". Cornell Law School. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ a b 5 U.S.C. § 5312.
- ^ "Abbreviations and Terms" (PDF). 2001-2009.state.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs", Protocol and Liaison Service, United Nations. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- ^ NATO Member Countries Archived October 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, NATO. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- ^ "Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch" (1997). Congressional Quarterly. p. 87.
- ^ "Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress – 1st Session". U.S. Senate. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.