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.
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. 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 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
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!scope="col" |
!scope="col" colspan=2 |Name
!scope="col" |Office
!scope="col" |Succession
!scope="col" |Start
!scope="col" |End
!scope="col" colspan=2 |Party
!scope="col" |President(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable" |
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=2 |1
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" rowspan=2 |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" rowspan=2 |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" rowspan=2 |Secretary of Labor
|rowspan=2 |—
|rowspan=2 |
|rowspan=2 |
|rowspan=2
|rowspan=2 |Democratic
|<br>(1933–1945)
|align="center" rowspan=2 |
|-
|<br>(1945–1953)
|-
!scope="row" |2
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
|12
|
|
|rowspan=2
|rowspan=2 |Republican
|<br>(1953–1961)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |3
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
|13
|
|
|<br>(1974–1977)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |4
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of Commerce
|10
|
|
|rowspan=4
|rowspan=4 |Democratic
|rowspan=4 |<br>(1977–1981)
|align="center" |
|-
!rowspan=2 scope="row" |5/6
|rowspan=2 |90px
|rowspan=2 |
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
|13
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
|Secretary of Health and Human Services
|12
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |8
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of Transportation
|14
|
|
|rowspan=6
|rowspan=6 |Republican
|rowspan=3 |<br>(1981–1989)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |9
|90px
|
|Secretary of Health and Human Services
|12
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |10
|90px
|
|Secretary of Labor
|11
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |11
|90px
|
|Secretary of Labor
|11
|
|
|rowspan=3 |<br>(1989–1993)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |12
|90px
|
|Secretary of Labor
|11
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |13
|90px
|
|Secretary of Commerce
|10
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |14
|90px
|
|Secretary of Health and Human Services
|12
|
|
|rowspan=5
|rowspan=5 |Democratic
|rowspan=5 |<br>(1993–2001)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |15
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of Energy
|15
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |16
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Attorney General
|7
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |17
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of State
|4
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |18
|90px
|
|Secretary of Labor
|11
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |19
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of Agriculture
|9
|
|
|rowspan=6
|rowspan=6 |Republican
|rowspan=6 |<br>(2001–2009)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |20
|90px
|
|Secretary of Labor
|11
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |21
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of the Interior
|8
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |22
|90px
|
|Secretary of Education
|16
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |23
|90px
|
|Secretary of State
|4
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |24
|90px
|
|Secretary of Transportation
|14
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |25
|90px
|
|Secretary of State
|4
|
|
|rowspan=8
|rowspan=8 |Democratic
|rowspan=8 |<br>(2009–2017)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |26
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of Homeland Security
|18
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |27
|90px
|
|Secretary of Labor
|11
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |28
|90px
|
|Secretary of Health and Human Services
|12
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |29
|90px
|
|Secretary of the Interior
|8
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |30
|90px
|
|Secretary of Commerce
|10
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |31
|90px
|
|Secretary of Health and Human Services
|12
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |32
|90px
|
|Attorney General
|7
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |33
|90px
|
|Secretary of Transportation
|14
|
|
|rowspan=3
|rowspan=3 |Republican
|rowspan=3 |<br>(2017–2021)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |34
|90px
|
|Secretary of Education
|16
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |35
|90px
|
|Secretary of Homeland Security
|18
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |36
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Vice President
|1
|
|
|rowspan=6
|rowspan=6 |Democratic
|rowspan=6 |<br>(2021–2025)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |37
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Secretary of the Treasury
|5
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |38
|90px
|
|Secretary of Energy
|15
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |39
|90px
|
|Secretary of Commerce
|10
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |40
|90px
|
|Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
|13
|
|March 22, 2024
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |41
|90px
|
|Secretary of the Interior
|8
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |42
|90px
|
|Secretary of Homeland Security
|18
|
|
|rowspan=5
|rowspan=5 |Republican
|rowspan=5 |<br>(2025–present)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |43
|90px
|
|Attorney General
|7
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |44
|90px
|
|Secretary of Agriculture
|9
|
|Incumbent
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |45
|90px
|
|Secretary of Education
|16
|
|Incumbent
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |46
|90px
|
|Secretary of Labor
|11
|
|
|align="center" |
|}
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
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!scope="col" |
!scope="col" colspan=2 |Name
!scope="col" |Office
!scope="col" |Start
!scope="col" |End
!scope="col" colspan=2 |Party
!scope="col" |President(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable" |
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=2 |1
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" rowspan=2 |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" rowspan=2 |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" rowspan=2 |Counselor to the President
|rowspan=2 |
|rowspan=2 |
|rowspan=4
|rowspan=4 |Republican
|<br>(1969–1974)
|align="center" rowspan=2 |
|-
|<br>(1974–1977)
|-
!scope="row" |2
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |United States Ambassador to the United Nations
|
|
|<br>(1981–1989)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |3
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |United States Trade Representative
|
|
|<br>(1989–1993)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |4
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
|
|
|rowspan=7
|rowspan=7 |Democratic
|rowspan=7 |<br>(1993–2001)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |7
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Director of the Office of Management and Budget
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |8
|90px
|
|Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |9
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Small Business Administration
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |11
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
|
|
|rowspan=2
|rowspan=2 |Republican
|rowspan=2 |<br>(2001–2009)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |13
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
|
|
|rowspan=8
|rowspan=8 |Democratic
|rowspan=8 |<br>(2009–2017)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |14
|90px
|
|United States Ambassador to the United Nations
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |15
|90px
|
|Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |16
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Small Business Administration
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |17
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|
|Director of the Office of Management and Budget
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |18
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |19
|90px
|
|United States Ambassador to the United Nations
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |20
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Small Business Administration
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |21
|90px
|
|United States Ambassador to the United Nations
|
|
|rowspan=4
|rowspan=4 |Republican
|rowspan=4 |<br>(2017–2021)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |22
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Small Business Administration
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |23
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |24
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Small Business Administration
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |25
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Director of National Intelligence
|
|
|rowspan=7
|rowspan=7 |Democratic
|rowspan=7 |<br>(2021–2025)
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |26
|90px
|
|United States Ambassador to the United Nations
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |27
|90px
|
|Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |28
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Small Business Administration
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |29
|90px
|
|United States Trade Representative
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |30
|90px
|
|Director of the Office of Management and Budget
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |31
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
|
|
|align="center" |
|-
!32
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |90px
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |*
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" |White House Chief of Staff
|
|Incumbent
|rowspan=3
|rowspan=3 |Republican
|rowspan=3 |<br>(2025–present)
|
|-
!scope="row" |33
|90px
|
|Director of National Intelligence
|
|Incumbent<!-- -->
|align="center" |
|-
!scope="row" |34
|90px
|
|Administrator of the Small Business Administration
|
|Incumbent
|align="center" |
|}
See also
;Other lists of United States Cabinet members
- List of African-American United States Cabinet members
- List of foreign-born United States Cabinet members
- List of Hispanic and Latino American United States Cabinet members
- List of Jewish United States Cabinet members
;Lists of international female executive department leaders
- List of female defence ministers
- List of female finance ministers
- List of female foreign ministers
- List of female interior ministers
- List of female justice ministers
Notes
References
External links
- The Cabinet - Provided by the White House. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- Women Appointed to Presidential Cabinets - Produced by the Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics from Rutgers University. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
- Women Members Who Became Cabinet Members and United States Diplomats - Provided by the U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Historian. Part of the History, Art & Archives, Women in Congress, 1917–2006 website. Retrieved January 11, 2016.