# List of female United States Cabinet members

The Cabinet of the United States, which is the principal advisory body to the President of the United States, has had 72 female members altogether, with eight of them serving in multiple positions for a total of 80 cabinet appointments. Of that number, 43 different women held a total of 46 permanent cabinet posts, having served as the Vice President or heads of the federal executive departments; 34 more women held cabinet-level positions, which can differ under each president; and five officeholders served in both cabinet and cabinet-rank roles. No woman held a presidential cabinet position before the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which prohibits the federal government or any state from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex.
Frances Perkins became the first woman to serve in a president's cabinet when she was appointed Secretary of Labor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African-American woman and the first woman of color to serve in a presidential cabinet when she was named Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Two years later, Carter tapped her for Secretary of Health and Human Services, therefore making her the first woman to hold two different cabinet positions. Madeleine Albright, who was born in Czechoslovakia, became the first foreign-born woman to serve in a president's cabinet when she was picked by President Bill Clinton for United States Ambassador to the United Nations, a cabinet-rank position, in 1993. She was elevated to Secretary of State four years later, during Clinton's second term, thus making her, at the time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the federal government.
On January 26, 2005, Condoleezza Rice assumed the post of Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, which made her the highest-ranked woman among cabinet secretaries to enter the presidential line of succession, standing fourth. Nancy Pelosi surpassed Rice on January 4, 2007, when her election as the first female Speaker of the House put her second in line to the presidency. Kamala Harris replaced Pelosi to become the highest-ranking woman ever to be in the line of succession upon being inaugurated as the first female Vice President on January 20, 2021, alongside President Joe Biden.
President Joe Biden named the most women as secretaries to his first-term Cabinet, with five: former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury; U.S. representative Deb Haaland (D-NM) as Secretary of the Interior; Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo as Secretary of Commerce; U.S. representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm as Secretary of Energy, exceeding by one the record set by President Barack Obama. However, including cabinet reshuffles during his second term in office, Obama still holds the record for most women appointed to permanent cabinet positions with eight, the most of any presidency. That record was equaled by President Donald Trump in his second administration.
The Department of Labor has had the most female secretaries, with eight. The Department of Health and Human Services has had five; the Departments of Commerce and Education has had four; the Departments of Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, State, and Transportation have had three; the Departments of Agriculture and Energy have had two; and the Department of Treasury have had one. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are the only existing executive departments that do not have female secretaries yet.
The totals for this list include only women presidential appointees confirmed (if necessary) by the U.S. Senate to cabinet or cabinet-level positions and taking their oath of office; they do not include acting officials or nominees awaiting confirmation.

## Permanent cabinet members

The following list includes women who have held permanent cabinet positions, all of whom are in the line of succession to the presidency. The table below is organized based on the beginning of their terms in office. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are listed according to the presidential order of succession.
    * denotes the first female holder of that particular office
| No. | Name | Office | Succession | Term start | Term end | Party | Administration(s) |
| 1 | Frances Perkins* | Secretary of Labor | — | March 4, 1933 | June 30, 1945 | Democratic | Roosevelt |
| 1 | Frances Perkins* | Secretary of Labor | — | March 4, 1933 | June 30, 1945 | Democratic | Truman |
| 2 | Oveta Hobby* | Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare | 12 | April 11, 1953 | July 31, 1955 | Republican | Eisenhower |
| 3 | Carla Hills* | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | 13 | March 10, 1975 | January 20, 1977 | Republican | Ford |
| 4 | Juanita M. Kreps* | Secretary of Commerce | 10 | January 23, 1977 | October 31, 1979 | Democratic | Carter |
| 5/6 | Patricia Harris | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | 13 | January 23, 1977 | September 10, 1979 | Democratic | Carter |
| 5/6 | Patricia Harris | Secretary of Health and Human Services | 12 | August 3, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | Democratic | Carter |
| 7 | Shirley Hufstedler* | Secretary of Education | 16 | November 30, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | Democratic | Carter |
| 8 | Elizabeth Dole* | Secretary of Transportation | 14 | February 7, 1983 | September 30, 1987 | Republican | Reagan |
| 9 | Margaret Heckler | Secretary of Health and Human Services | 12 | March 10, 1983 | December 13, 1985 | Republican | Reagan |
| 10 | Ann McLaughlin | Secretary of Labor | 11 | December 14, 1987 | January 20, 1989 | Republican | Reagan |
| 11 | Elizabeth Dole | Secretary of Labor | 11 | January 25, 1989 | November 23, 1990 | Republican | Bush Sr. |
| 12 | Lynn Martin | Secretary of Labor | 11 | February 7, 1991 | January 20, 1993 | Republican | Bush Sr. |
| 13 | Barbara Franklin | Secretary of Commerce | 10 | February 27, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | Republican | Bush Sr. |
| 14 | Donna Shalala | Secretary of Health and Human Services | 12 | January 22, 1993 | January 20, 2001 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 15 | Hazel R. O'Leary* | Secretary of Energy | 15 | January 22, 1993 | January 20, 1997 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 16 | Janet Reno* | Attorney General | 7 | March 12, 1993 | January 20, 2001 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 17 | Madeleine Albright* | Secretary of State | 4 | January 23, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 18 | Alexis Herman | Secretary of Labor | 11 | May 1, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 19 | Ann Veneman* | Secretary of Agriculture | 9 | January 20, 2001 | January 20, 2005 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 20 | Elaine Chao | Secretary of Labor | 11 | January 29, 2001 | January 20, 2009 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 21 | Gale Norton* | Secretary of the Interior | 8 | January 31, 2001 | March 31, 2006 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 22 | Margaret Spellings | Secretary of Education | 16 | January 20, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 23 | Condoleezza Rice | Secretary of State | 4 | January 26, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 24 | Mary E. Peters | Secretary of Transportation | 14 | October 17, 2006 | January 20, 2009 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 25 | Hillary Clinton | Secretary of State | 4 | January 21, 2009 | February 1, 2013 | Democratic | Obama |
| 26 | Janet Napolitano* | Secretary of Homeland Security | 18 | January 21, 2009 | September 6, 2013 | Democratic | Obama |
| 27 | Hilda Solis | Secretary of Labor | 11 | February 24, 2009 | January 22, 2013 | Democratic | Obama |
| 28 | Kathleen Sebelius | Secretary of Health and Human Services | 12 | April 28, 2009 | June 9, 2014 | Democratic | Obama |
| 29 | Sally Jewell | Secretary of the Interior | 8 | April 12, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Obama |
| 30 | Penny Pritzker | Secretary of Commerce | 10 | June 26, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Obama |
| 31 | Sylvia Burwell | Secretary of Health and Human Services | 12 | June 9, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Obama |
| 32 | Loretta Lynch | Attorney General | 7 | April 27, 2015 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Obama |
| 33 | Elaine Chao | Secretary of Transportation | 14 | January 31, 2017 | January 11, 2021 | Republican | Trump I |
| 34 | Betsy DeVos | Secretary of Education | 16 | February 7, 2017 | January 8, 2021 | Republican | Trump I |
| 35 | Kirstjen Nielsen | Secretary of Homeland Security | 18 | December 6, 2017 | April 10, 2019 | Republican | Trump I |
| 36 | Kamala Harris* | Vice President | 1 | January 20, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 37 | Janet Yellen* | Secretary of the Treasury | 5 | January 26, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 38 | Jennifer Granholm | Secretary of Energy | 15 | February 25, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 39 | Gina Raimondo | Secretary of Commerce | 10 | March 3, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 40 | Marcia Fudge | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | 13 | March 10, 2021 | March 22, 2024 | Democratic | Biden |
| 41 | Deb Haaland | Secretary of the Interior | 8 | March 16, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 42 | Kristi Noem | Secretary of Homeland Security | 18 | January 25, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |
| 43 | Pam Bondi | Attorney General | 7 | February 5, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |
| 44 | Brooke Rollins | Secretary of Agriculture | 9 | February 13, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |
| 45 | Linda McMahon | Secretary of Education | 16 | March 3, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |
| 46 | Lori Chavez-DeRemer | Secretary of Labor | 11 | March 11, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |

### Former permanent cabinet members

* The Secretary of War became defunct when the Department of War was split between the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force by the National Security Act of 1947, and both were absorbed into the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post.
* The Postmaster General ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Post Office Department was re-organized into the United States Postal Service (USPS) by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Megan Brennan became the first woman to serve as Postmaster General in 2015. She was appointed after the USPS became an independent agency of the executive branch.
* The Secretary of Commerce and Labor became renamed when the Department of Commerce and Labor was split between the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor. The Department of Commerce is considered a continuation of the Department of Commerce and Labor under a new name. No woman had ever served under the original title of the position.
* The Secretary of the Army ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Department of the Army became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Christine Wormuth became the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Army in 2021. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense.
* The Secretary of the Navy ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Department of the Navy became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Susan Livingstone became the first woman to serve as acting Secretary of the Navy in 2003. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense.
* The Secretary of the Air Force ceased to be a member of the cabinet when the Department of the Air Force became a component of the Department of Defense in 1949. No woman had ever served while it was a cabinet post. Sheila Widnall became the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Air Force in 1993. She was appointed after it became a position beneath the Secretary of Defense.

## Cabinet-level positions

The president may designate or remove additional officials as members of the cabinet. These positions have not always been in the cabinet, so some female officeholders may not be listed.
The following list includes women who have held cabinet-level positions, which can vary under each president. They are not in the line of succession and are not necessarily officers of the United States. The table below is organized based on the beginning of their terms in office while it was raised to cabinet-level status. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are listed alphabetically by last name.
    * denotes the first female holder of that particular office
| No. | Name | Office | Term start | Term end | Party | Administration(s) |
| 1 | Anne L. Armstrong* | Counselor to the President | January 19, 1973 | December 18, 1974 | Republican | Nixon |
| 1 | Anne L. Armstrong* | Counselor to the President | January 19, 1973 | December 18, 1974 | Republican | Ford |
| 2 | Jeane Kirkpatrick* | United States Ambassador to the United Nations | February 4, 1981 | April 1, 1985 | Republican | Reagan |
| 3 | Carla Hills* | United States Trade Representative | February 6, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | Republican | Bush Sr. |
| 4 | Carol Browner | Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | January 23, 1993 | January 20, 2001 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 5 | Madeleine Albright | United States Ambassador to the United Nations | January 27, 1993 | January 21, 1997 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 6 | Laura Tyson* | Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers | February 5, 1993 | February 21, 1995 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 7 | Alice Rivlin* | Director of the Office of Management and Budget | October 17, 1994 | April 26, 1996 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 8 | Janet Yellen | Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers | February 18, 1997 | August 3, 1999 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 9 | Aida Álvarez | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | March 7, 1997 | January 19, 2001 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 10 | Charlene Barshefsky | United States Trade Representative | March 18, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | Democratic | Clinton |
| 11 | Christine Whitman | Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | January 31, 2001 | June 27, 2003 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 12 | Susan Schwab | United States Trade Representative | June 8, 2006 | January 20, 2009 | Republican | Bush Jr. |
| 13 | Lisa P. Jackson | Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | January 23, 2009 | February 19, 2013 | Democratic | Obama |
| 14 | Susan Rice | United States Ambassador to the United Nations | January 26, 2009 | June 30, 2013 | Democratic | Obama |
| 15 | Christina Romer | Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers | January 28, 2009 | September 3, 2010 | Democratic | Obama |
| 16 | Karen Mills | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | January 13, 2012 | September 1, 2013 | Democratic | Obama |
| 17 | Sylvia Burwell | Director of the Office of Management and Budget | April 24, 2013 | June 9, 2014 | Democratic | Obama |
| 18 | Gina McCarthy | Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | July 18, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Obama |
| 19 | Samantha Power | United States Ambassador to the United Nations | August 5, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Obama |
| 20 | Maria Contreras-Sweet | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | April 7, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Obama |
| 21 | Nikki Haley | United States Ambassador to the United Nations | January 25, 2017 | December 31, 2018 | Republican | Trump I |
| 22 | Linda McMahon | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | February 14, 2017 | April 12, 2019 | Republican | Trump I |
| 23 | Gina Haspel* | Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | May 21, 2018 | January 20, 2021 | Republican | Trump I |
| 24 | Jovita Carranza | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | January 14, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | Republican | Trump I |
| 25 | Avril Haines* | Director of National Intelligence | January 21, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 26 | Linda Thomas-Greenfield | United States Ambassador to the United Nations | February 25, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 27 | Cecilia Rouse | Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers | March 12, 2021 | March 31, 2023 | Democratic | Biden |
| 28 | Isabel Guzman | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | March 17, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 29 | Katherine Tai | United States Trade Representative | March 18, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 30 | Shalanda Young | Director of the Office of Management and Budget | March 17, 2022 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 31 | Arati Prabhakar* | Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy | October 3, 2022 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Biden |
| 32 | Susie Wiles* | White House Chief of Staff | January 20, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |
| 33 | Tulsi Gabbard | Director of National Intelligence | February 12, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |
| 34 | Kelly Loeffler | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | February 20, 2025 | Incumbent | Republican | Trump II |

## Pending nominees for cabinet secretaries and cabinet-level positions

| Nominee | Office | Announced | Ref. |
| Elise Stefanik | Ambassador to the United Nations | November 10, 2024 | |