United States Secretary of Labor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United States Secretary of Labor
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the department
Incumbent Vince Micone since January 20, 2025
United States Department of Labor
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Member of	Cabinet
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	Frances Perkins Building, Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President of the United States with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	29 U.S.C. § 551
Precursor	Secretary of Commerce and Labor
Formation	March 4, 1913; 111 years ago (March 4, 1913)
First holder	William B. Wilson
Succession	Eleventh
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of Labor
Salary	Executive Schedule, Level I

The United States Secretary of Labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies.

Formerly, there was a Department of Commerce and Labor. That department split into two in 1913. The Department of Commerce is headed by the secretary of commerce.

Secretary of labor is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of $221,400 as of January 2021.

Vincent Micone has been appointed as acting secretary since January 20, 2025 by President Donald J. Trump.

List of secretaries of labor

      Democratic (13)       Republican (16)

Status

      Acting Secretary of Labor

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	President(s)
1		Wilson, WilliamWilliam Wilson	Pennsylvania	March 6, 1913	March 4, 1921		Wilson, WoodrowWoodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
2		Davis, James J.James J. Davis	Pennsylvania	March 5, 1921	November 30, 1930		Harding, Warren G.Warren G. Harding (1921–1923)
							Coolidge, CalvinCalvin Coolidge (1923–1929)
							Hoover, HerbertHerbert Hoover (1929–1933)
3		Doak, William N.William N. Doak	Virginia	December 9, 1930	March 4, 1933
4		Perkins, FrancesFrances Perkins	New York	March 4, 1933	June 30, 1945		Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
							Truman, Harry S.Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
5		Schwellenbach, Lewis B.Lewis B. Schwellenbach	Washington	July 1, 1945	June 10, 1948
6		Tobin, Maurice J.Maurice J. Tobin	Massachusetts	August 13, 1948	January 20, 1953
7		Durkin, MartinMartin Durkin	Maryland	January 21, 1953	September 10, 1953		Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
8		Mitchell, James P.James P. Mitchell	New Jersey	October 9, 1953	January 20, 1961
9		Goldberg, ArthurArthur Goldberg	Illinois	January 21, 1961	September 20, 1962		Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
10		Wirtz, W. WillardW. Willard Wirtz	Illinois	September 25, 1962	January 20, 1969
							Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
11		Shultz, George P.George P. Shultz	Illinois	January 22, 1969	July 1, 1970		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (1969–1974)
12		Hodgson, JamesJames Hodgson	California	July 2, 1970	February 1, 1973
13		Brennan, Peter J.Peter J. Brennan	New York	February 2, 1973	March 15, 1975
							Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (1974–1977)
14		Dunlop, JohnJohn Dunlop	Massachusetts	March 18, 1975	January 31, 1976
15		Usery Jr., WilliamWilliam Usery Jr.	Georgia	February 10, 1976	January 20, 1977
16		Marshall, RayRay Marshall	Texas	January 27, 1977	January 20, 1981		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
17		Donovan, Raymond J.Raymond J. Donovan	New Jersey	February 4, 1981	March 15, 1985		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (1981–1989)
18		Brock, BillBill Brock	Tennessee	April 29, 1985	October 31, 1987
19		Dore McLaughlin, AnnAnn Dore McLaughlin	District of Columbia	December 17, 1987	January 20, 1989
20		Dole, ElizabethElizabeth Dole	Kansas	January 25, 1989	November 23, 1990		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
21		Martin, LynnLynn Martin	Illinois	February 22, 1991	January 20, 1993
22		Reich, RobertRobert Reich	Massachusetts	January 22, 1993	January 20, 1997		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
23		Herman, AlexisAlexis Herman	Alabama	May 1, 1997	January 20, 2001
24		Chao, ElaineElaine Chao	Kentucky	January 29, 2001	January 20, 2009		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
–		Radzely, HowardHoward Radzely	Pennsylvania	January 20, 2009	February 2, 2009		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
–		Hugler, EdEd Hugler	Pennsylvania	February 2, 2009	February 24, 2009
25		Solis, HildaHilda Solis	California	February 24, 2009	January 22, 2013
–		Harris, SethSeth Harris	New York	January 22, 2013	July 23, 2013
26		Perez, TomTom Perez	Maryland	July 23, 2013	January 20, 2017
–		Hugler, EdEd Hugler	Pennsylvania	January 20, 2017	April 27, 2017		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
27		Acosta, AlexanderAlexander Acosta	Florida	April 28, 2017	July 19, 2019
–		Pizzella, PatrickPatrick Pizzella	Virginia	July 20, 2019	September 30, 2019
28		Scalia, EugeneEugene Scalia	Virginia	September 30, 2019	January 20, 2021
–		Stewart, AlAl Stewart	Virginia	January 20, 2021	March 23, 2021		Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
29		Walsh, MartyMarty Walsh	Massachusetts	March 23, 2021	March 11, 2023
–		Su, JulieJulie Su	California	March 11, 2023	January 20, 2025
–		Micone, VinceVince Micone		January 20, 2025	present		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2025–present)

Line of succession

The former flag of the U.S. Secretary of Labor, used from 1915 to 1960.

The line of succession for the Secretary of Labor is as follows:

1. Deputy Secretary of Labor
2. Solicitor of Labor
3. Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
4. Assistant Secretary for Policy
5. Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
6. Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training
7. Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security
8. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health
9. Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health
10. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
11. Chief Financial Officer
12. Administrator, Wage and Hour Division
13. Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training
14. Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy
15. Deputy Solicitor of Labor (First Assistant of the Solicitor of Labor)
16. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Policy)
17. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs)
18. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training)
19. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security)
20. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health)
21. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health)
22. Regional Solicitor—Dallas
23. Regional Administrator for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management—Region VI/Dallas

Secretary succession

If none of the above officials are available to serve as Acting Secretary of Labor, the Designated Secretarial Designee assumes interim operational control over the Department, except the Secretary's non-delegable responsibilities.

1. Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
2. Director of the Women's Bureau
3. Regional Administrator, Employment and Training Administration—Dallas
4. Regional Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration—Dallas

See also

In Spanish: Secretario de Trabajo de los Estados Unidos para niños

• United States Deputy Secretary of Labor
• United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General