The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary reports directly to the president and is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. The secretary is appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The secretary of commerce is responsible for promoting American businesses and industries. The department states its mission as 'to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce of the United States'.
Until 1913, there was one secretary of commerce and labor, uniting this department with the United States Department of Labor, which is now headed by a separate United States secretary of labor.
The secretary of commerce is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule with an annual salary of US$ 250,600, as of January 2025.
The current secretary of commerce is Howard Lutnick.
Contents
List of U.S. secretaries of commerce
Parties
Independent (1)
Democratic (21)
Republican (19)
Status
Line of succession
The line of succession for the secretary of commerce is as follows:
Deputy Secretary of Commerce
General Counsel of the Department of Commerce
Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs
Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration
Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Commerce and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Administration
Boulder Laboratories Site Manager, National Institute of Standards and Technology