United States Secretary of State

Secretary of State of the United States of America
Flag of the Secretary of State
Seal of the Department of State
Incumbent Susan Thompson since 2019
U.S. Department of State
Member of	Cabinet
Reports to	The President
Seat	Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	22 U.S.C. § 2651
Formation	July 27, 1789
First holder	Thomas Jefferson
Succession	Fourth (presidential line of succession)
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of State
Salary	Executive Schedule, level 1
Website

The Secretary of State is a senior official of the federal government of the United States of America heading the U.S. Department of State, principally concerned with foreign affairs and is considered to be the U.S. government's equivalent of a Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is a member of the President's Cabinet, the National Security Council, and is the highest-ranking appointed executive branch official both in the presidential line of succession and the order of precedence.

The Secretary of State along with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General are generally regarded as the four most important cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments. Secretary of State is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level.

The current Secretary of State is Susan Thompson.

United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by President pro tempore of the Senate	4th in line	Succeeded by Secretary of the Treasury

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