# United States Secretary of Labor

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.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer has been appointed as secretary since March 11, 2025 by President Donald J. Trump.

## List of secretaries of labor
### Parties

Democratic (13)  Republican (17)
Status
Acting Secretary of Labor
| No. | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office | President(s) |
| 1 | William Wilson | Pennsylvania | March 6, 1913 | March 4, 1921 | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
| 2 | James J. Davis | Pennsylvania | March 5, 1921 | November 30, 1930 | Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) |
| 2 | James J. Davis | Pennsylvania | March 5, 1921 | November 30, 1930 | Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
| 2 | James J. Davis | Pennsylvania | March 5, 1921 | November 30, 1930 | Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 3 | William N. Doak | Virginia | December 9, 1930 | March 4, 1933 | Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 4 | Frances Perkins | New York | March 4, 1933 | June 30, 1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) |
| 4 | Frances Perkins | New York | March 4, 1933 | June 30, 1945 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 5 | Lewis B. Schwellenbach | Washington | July 1, 1945 | June 10, 1948 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 6 | Maurice J. Tobin | Massachusetts | August 13, 1948 | January 20, 1953 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 7 | Martin Durkin | Maryland | January 21, 1953 | September 10, 1953 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 8 | James P. Mitchell | New Jersey | October 9, 1953 | January 20, 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 9 | Arthur Goldberg | Illinois | January 21, 1961 | September 20, 1962 | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 10 | W. Willard Wirtz | Illinois | September 25, 1962 | January 20, 1969 | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 10 | W. Willard Wirtz | Illinois | September 25, 1962 | January 20, 1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| 11 | George P. Shultz | Illinois | January 22, 1969 | July 1, 1970 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 12 | James Hodgson | California | July 2, 1970 | February 1, 1973 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 13 | Peter J. Brennan | New York | February 2, 1973 | March 15, 1975 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 13 | Peter J. Brennan | New York | February 2, 1973 | March 15, 1975 | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| 14 | John Dunlop | Massachusetts | March 18, 1975 | January 31, 1976 | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| 15 | William Usery Jr. | Georgia | February 10, 1976 | January 20, 1977 | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| 16 | Ray Marshall | Texas | January 27, 1977 | January 20, 1981 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 17 | Raymond J. Donovan | New Jersey | February 4, 1981 | March 15, 1985 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 18 | Bill Brock | Tennessee | April 29, 1985 | October 31, 1987 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 19 | Ann Dore McLaughlin | District of Columbia | December 17, 1987 | January 20, 1989 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 20 | Elizabeth Dole | Kansas | January 25, 1989 | November 23, 1990 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 21 | Lynn Martin | Illinois | February 22, 1991 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 22 | Robert Reich | Massachusetts | January 22, 1993 | January 20, 1997 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 23 | Alexis Herman | Alabama | May 1, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 24 | Elaine Chao | Kentucky | January 29, 2001 | January 20, 2009 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| – | Howard Radzely | Pennsylvania | January 20, 2009 | February 2, 2009 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | Ed Hugler | Pennsylvania | February 2, 2009 | February 24, 2009 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 25 | Hilda Solis | California | February 24, 2009 | January 22, 2013 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | Seth Harris | New York | January 22, 2013 | July 23, 2013 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 26 | Tom Perez | Maryland | July 23, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | Ed Hugler | Pennsylvania | January 20, 2017 | April 27, 2017 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 27 | Alexander Acosta | Florida | April 28, 2017 | July 19, 2019 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | Patrick Pizzella | Virginia | July 20, 2019 | September 30, 2019 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 28 | Eugene Scalia | Virginia | September 30, 2019 | January 20, 2021 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | Al Stewart | Virginia | January 20, 2021 | March 23, 2021 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 29 | Marty Walsh | Massachusetts | March 23, 2021 | March 11, 2023 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| – | Julie Su | California | March 11, 2023 | January 20, 2025 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| – | Vince Micone | | January 20, 2025 | March 11, 2025 | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
| 30 | Lori Chavez-DeRemer | Oregon | March 11, 2025 | Present | Donald Trump (2025–present) |

## Line of succession

The line of succession for the Secretary of Labor is as follows:
* Deputy Secretary of Labor
* Solicitor of Labor
* Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
* Assistant Secretary for Policy
* Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
* Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training
* Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security
* Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health
* Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health
* Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
* Chief Financial Officer
* Administrator, Wage and Hour Division
* Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training
* Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy
* Deputy Solicitor of Labor (First Assistant of the Solicitor of Labor)
* Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Policy)
* Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs)
* Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training)
* Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security)
* Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health)
* Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health (First Assistant of the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health)
* Regional Solicitor—Dallas
* 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.
* Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
* Director of the Women's Bureau
* Regional Administrator, Employment and Training Administration—Dallas
* Regional Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration—Dallas