An Under Secretary of State is a senior official at the U.S. Department of State who runs one of six specialized policy portfolios, ranking just below the Secretary and the two Deputy Secretaries. Federal law authorizes up to six of these positions, each nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and paid at Executive Schedule Level III, which is $209,600 in 2026.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2651a – Organization of Department of State2U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Salary Table No. 2026-EX They sit between the Department’s top political leaders and the career diplomats who staff bureaus and embassies, and they are the officials most responsible for turning foreign policy goals into day-to-day operations.
Where the Position Sits in the State Department
The Secretary of State leads the Department. Two Deputy Secretaries come next: the Deputy Secretary of State and the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Under Secretaries occupy the tier below them. By statute, the Under Secretary for Political Affairs is the third-ranking officer in the Department.3Office of the Historian. Under Secretaries of State for Political Affairs
Rank matters most when the Secretary is unavailable. The Department’s order of succession runs from the Deputy Secretary, to the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, then to the Under Secretary for Management, and finally to the remaining Under Secretaries in the order they took their oaths.4White House Archives. Executive Order on Succession at the Department of State
Each Under Secretary oversees a cluster of bureaus, each headed by an Assistant Secretary. That layered structure lets the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries focus on the biggest strategic decisions while Under Secretaries run the operational details inside their specialty.
The Six Portfolios
The Department currently divides its work into six Under Secretary portfolios: Political Affairs; Arms Control and International Security; Economic Affairs; Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; Management; and Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom.5United States Department of State. Bureaus and Offices List Titles and the bureaus underneath them shift over the years as administrations reorganize, but the statute consistently caps the number at six.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2651a – Organization of Department of State
Political Affairs
This is the Department’s heavyweight operational role. The Under Secretary for Political Affairs manages the regional bureaus covering Africa, East Asia, Europe, the Near East, South and Central Asia, the Western Hemisphere, and international organizations.5United States Department of State. Bureaus and Offices List When a diplomatic crisis erupts, this official usually coordinates the response on a daily basis, acting as the hub between the regional desks and the Secretary’s office.
Arms Control and International Security
This Under Secretary leads U.S. efforts on nonproliferation, arms control, defense trade, and regional security assistance. The role covers export controls on military technology, arms sales to allied nations, and compliance with treaties on weapons of mass destruction. The statute creates the position to “assist the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary in matters related to international security policy, arms control, and nonproliferation.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2651a – Organization of Department of State The portfolio recently absorbed the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
Economic Affairs
Formerly titled Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, this portfolio covers international trade policy, energy security, environmental diplomacy, and the economic dimensions of foreign relations. Reporting bureaus include Economic and Business Affairs, Energy Resources, and Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, along with the Office of the Chief Economist.6U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. The Under Secretaries of State The official advises the Secretary on sanctions, trade agreements, and foreign investment.
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
This Under Secretary shapes how foreign audiences perceive the United States, running cultural exchanges, educational programs, and strategic communications. The statute gives the position “primary responsibility to assist the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary in the formation and implementation of public diplomacy policies and activities, including international educational and cultural exchange programs.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2651a – Organization of Department of State Countering foreign disinformation falls within this work.
Management
The Under Secretary for Management runs the Department’s internal operations: budgets, information technology, diplomatic security, human resources, consular affairs, and the global network of embassies and consulates. The Bureau of Consular Affairs, which processes passports and visas for millions of people each year, reports through this portfolio.7United States Department of State. Bureau of Consular Affairs The statute frames the job as assisting the Secretary “on matters related to the management and administration of the Department.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2651a – Organization of Department of State This position also sits fourth in the Department’s succession line.4White House Archives. Executive Order on Succession at the Department of State
Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom
The most recently restructured portfolio. It was previously the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, covering human trafficking, narcotics policy, counterterrorism, and human rights monitoring. The Department has since shifted some of its former bureaus to other Under Secretaries and refocused the remaining work on foreign assistance coordination, humanitarian response, and international religious freedom.5United States Department of State. Bureaus and Offices List Bureau assignments may continue to evolve.
How Someone Gets the Job
The Constitution’s Appointments Clause requires that senior officers of the United States receive the Senate’s advice and consent before taking office.8Library of Congress. Article II Section 2 Clause 2 The State Department statute repeats that rule specifically for these positions, saying each Under Secretary “shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2651a – Organization of Department of State
After the president submits a name, the candidate undergoes a background investigation and financial disclosure. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds jurisdiction and conducts public hearings, questioning the nominee about qualifications and policy plans. If the committee votes to approve, the full Senate votes on confirmation by simple majority. Only then can the nominee be sworn in.
Confirmation often takes months. Senators sometimes place holds on nominations for reasons unrelated to the nominee, using the vote as leverage on unrelated disputes. When a position sits empty, a career official or another appointee typically serves in an acting capacity, keeping the portfolio running without the full political authority that comes with confirmation.
Legal Authority and Congressional Accountability
The statutory foundation for these positions is 22 U.S.C. § 2651a. That law lets the Secretary delegate functions downward, stating that “unless otherwise specified in law, the Secretary may delegate authority to perform any of the functions of the Secretary or the Department to officers and employees under the direction and supervision of the Secretary.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2651a – Organization of Department of State Under that delegation, Under Secretaries can represent the United States in high-level negotiations, sign certain international agreements, and authorize spending inside their portfolios.
They also serve as the Department’s primary witnesses before Congress. Under Secretaries testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to explain policies, defend budget requests, and answer questions about how foreign assistance money is spent. That accountability is one reason Congress insists on confirming them in the first place.
The delegated authority is broad but not unlimited. The Secretary retains ultimate control and can pull back any delegation. And because Under Secretaries are political appointees who serve at the president’s pleasure, their direction must align with the administration’s foreign policy. They execute the president’s agenda inside a specialized lane rather than setting independent policy.
Pay and Post-Employment Rules
Under Secretaries are paid at Executive Schedule Level III, a statutory salary of $209,600 in 2026.2U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Salary Table No. 2026-EX That rate sits below the Secretary at Level I ($253,100) and the Deputy Secretaries at Level II ($228,000).
After leaving office, former Under Secretaries face significant lobbying restrictions. Under 18 U.S.C. § 207(c), a former senior official may not contact any officer or employee of their former department on someone else’s behalf, with intent to influence official action, for one year after leaving. A separate lifetime ban under 18 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1) prohibits them from ever lobbying anyone in the executive or judicial branch on specific matters they personally worked on in office.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 207 – Restrictions on Former Officers, Employees, and Elected Officials of the Executive and Legislative Branches Violations are federal crimes.