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United States Secretary of Transportation

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United States Secretary of Transportation

The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secretary is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States, and is fourteenth in the presidential line of succession. The secretary of transportation oversees the U.S. Department of Transportation, which has over 55,000 employees and thirteen agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As of January 2021, the secretary receives an annual salary of $221,400. Sean Duffy has served as the 20th secretary of transportation since January 28, 2025. He was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve this position, and was confirmed by the Senate in a 77-22 vote.

Infobox

Seat
Washington, D.C.
Style
Mr. Secretary (informal)The Honorable (formal)
Deputy
Deputy Secretary
Salary
Executive Schedule, Level I
Website
transportation.gov
Appointer
The presidentwith Senate advice and consent
Formation
October 15, 1966(59 years ago) (1966-10-15)
Member of
Cabinet of the United States
Reports to
President of the United States
Succession
Fourteenth
Term length
No fixed term
First holder
Alan Stephenson Boyd
Constituting instrument
49 U.S.C. § 102

Tables

· List of secretaries of transportation
1
1
No.
1
Secretary
Alan S. Boyd
State of residence
Florida
Took office
January 16, 1967
Left office
January 20, 1969
President
Lyndon B. Johnson(1963–1969)
2
2
No.
2
Secretary
John Volpe
State of residence
Massachusetts
Took office
January 22, 1969
Left office
February 2, 1973
President
Richard Nixon(1969–1974)
3
3
No.
3
Secretary
Claude Brinegar
State of residence
California
Took office
February 2, 1973
Left office
February 1, 1975
4
4
No.
4
Secretary
William Thaddeus Coleman Jr.
State of residence
Pennsylvania
Took office
March 7, 1975
Left office
January 20, 1977
5
5
No.
5
Secretary
Brock Adams
State of residence
Washington
Took office
January 23, 1977
Left office
July 20, 1979
President
Jimmy Carter(1977–1981)
6
6
No.
6
Secretary
Neil Goldschmidt
State of residence
Oregon
Took office
September 24, 1979
Left office
January 20, 1981
7
7
No.
7
Secretary
Drew Lewis
State of residence
Pennsylvania
Took office
January 23, 1981
Left office
February 1, 1983
President
Ronald Reagan(1981–1989)
8
8
No.
8
Secretary
Elizabeth Dole
State of residence
Kansas
Took office
February 7, 1983
Left office
September 30, 1987
9
9
No.
9
Secretary
James H. Burnley IV
State of residence
North Carolina
Took office
December 3, 1987
Left office
January 20, 1989
10
10
No.
10
Secretary
Samuel K. Skinner
State of residence
Illinois
Took office
February 6, 1989
Left office
December 13, 1991
President
George H. W. Bush(1989–1993)
11
11
No.
11
Secretary
Andrew Card
State of residence
Massachusetts
Took office
February 24, 1992
Left office
January 20, 1993
12
12
No.
12
Secretary
Federico Peña
State of residence
Colorado
Took office
January 21, 1993
Left office
February 14, 1997
President
Bill Clinton(1993–2001)
13
13
No.
13
Secretary
Rodney E. Slater
State of residence
Arkansas
Took office
February 14, 1997
Left office
January 20, 2001
–
–
No.
–
Secretary
Mortimer L. Downey IIIActing
State of residence
Virginia
Took office
January 20, 2001
Left office
January 25, 2001
President
George W. Bush(2001–2009)
14
14
No.
14
Secretary
Norman Mineta
State of residence
California
Took office
January 25, 2001
Left office
August 7, 2006
–
–
No.
–
Secretary
Maria CinoActing
State of residence
New York
Took office
August 7, 2006
Left office
October 17, 2006
15
15
No.
15
Secretary
Mary E. Peters
State of residence
Arizona
Took office
October 17, 2006
Left office
January 20, 2009
16
16
No.
16
Secretary
Ray LaHood
State of residence
Illinois
Took office
January 23, 2009
Left office
July 2, 2013
President
Barack Obama(2009–2017)
17
17
No.
17
Secretary
Anthony Foxx
State of residence
North Carolina
Took office
July 2, 2013
Left office
January 20, 2017
–
–
No.
–
Secretary
Michael HuertaActing
State of residence
California
Took office
January 20, 2017
Left office
January 31, 2017
President
Donald Trump(2017–2021)
18
18
No.
18
Secretary
Elaine Chao
State of residence
Kentucky
Took office
January 31, 2017
Left office
January 11, 2021
–
–
No.
–
Secretary
Steven G. BradburyActing
State of residence
Oregon
Took office
January 12, 2021
Left office
January 20, 2021
–
–
No.
–
Secretary
Lana HurdleActing
State of residence
Virginia
Took office
January 20, 2021
Left office
February 3, 2021
President
Joe Biden(2021–2025)
19
19
No.
19
Secretary
Pete Buttigieg
State of residence
Indiana
Took office
February 3, 2021
Left office
January 20, 2025
–
–
No.
–
Secretary
Judith KaletaActing
State of residence
Illinois
Took office
January 20, 2025
Left office
January 28, 2025
President
Donald Trump(2025–present)
20
20
No.
20
Secretary
Sean Duffy
State of residence
Wisconsin
Took office
January 28, 2025
Left office
present
No.
Portrait
Secretary
State of residence
Took office
Left office
President
1
Alan S. Boyd
Florida
January 16, 1967
January 20, 1969
Lyndon B. Johnson(1963–1969)
2
John Volpe
Massachusetts
January 22, 1969
February 2, 1973
Richard Nixon(1969–1974)
3
Claude Brinegar
California
February 2, 1973
February 1, 1975
Gerald Ford(1974–1977)
4
William Thaddeus Coleman Jr.
Pennsylvania
March 7, 1975
January 20, 1977
5
Brock Adams
Washington
January 23, 1977
July 20, 1979
Jimmy Carter(1977–1981)
6
Neil Goldschmidt
Oregon
September 24, 1979
January 20, 1981
7
Drew Lewis
Pennsylvania
January 23, 1981
February 1, 1983
Ronald Reagan(1981–1989)
8
Elizabeth Dole
Kansas
February 7, 1983
September 30, 1987
9
James H. Burnley IV
North Carolina
December 3, 1987
January 20, 1989
10
Samuel K. Skinner
Illinois
February 6, 1989
December 13, 1991
George H. W. Bush(1989–1993)
11
Andrew Card
Massachusetts
February 24, 1992
January 20, 1993
12
Federico Peña
Colorado
January 21, 1993
February 14, 1997
Bill Clinton(1993–2001)
13
Rodney E. Slater
Arkansas
February 14, 1997
January 20, 2001
–
Mortimer L. Downey IIIActing
Virginia
January 20, 2001
January 25, 2001
George W. Bush(2001–2009)
14
Norman Mineta
California
January 25, 2001
August 7, 2006
–
Maria CinoActing
New York
August 7, 2006
October 17, 2006
15
Mary E. Peters
Arizona
October 17, 2006
January 20, 2009
16
Ray LaHood
Illinois
January 23, 2009
July 2, 2013
Barack Obama(2009–2017)
17
Anthony Foxx
North Carolina
July 2, 2013
January 20, 2017
–
Michael HuertaActing
California
January 20, 2017
January 31, 2017
Donald Trump(2017–2021)
18
Elaine Chao
Kentucky
January 31, 2017
January 11, 2021
–
Steven G. BradburyActing
Oregon
January 12, 2021
January 20, 2021
–
Lana HurdleActing
Virginia
January 20, 2021
February 3, 2021
Joe Biden(2021–2025)
19
Pete Buttigieg
Indiana
February 3, 2021
January 20, 2025
–
Judith KaletaActing
Illinois
January 20, 2025
January 28, 2025
Donald Trump(2025–present)
20
Sean Duffy
Wisconsin
January 28, 2025
present
· External links
Preceded byScott Turneras Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Preceded byScott Turneras Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byScott Turneras Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Order of precedence of the United Statesas Secretary of Transportation
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Succeeded byChris Wrightas Secretary of Energy
U.S. presidential line of succession
U.S. presidential line of succession
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded bySecretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentScott Turner
Preceded bySecretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentScott Turner
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded bySecretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentScott Turner
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
14th in line
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Succeeded bySecretary of EnergyChris Wright
order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byScott Turneras Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Order of precedence of the United Statesas Secretary of Transportation
Succeeded byChris Wrightas Secretary of Energy
presidential line of succession
Preceded bySecretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentScott Turner
14th in line
Succeeded bySecretary of EnergyChris Wright

References

  1. In July 2022, Buttigieg established his permanent residence in Traverse City, Michigan.
  2. 3 U.S.C. § 19: Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act.
    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19
  3. "The United States Department of Transportation: A Brief History"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20040717162622/http://dotlibrary.dot.gov/Historian/history.htm
  4. "Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)"
    https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2021/EX.pdf
  5. 5 U.S.C. § 5312: Positions at level I.
    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/5312
  6. "Senate confirms Pete Buttigieg as Transportation secretary"
    https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/02/pete-buttigieg-confirmed-by-senate-as-biden-transportation-secretary.html
  7. "Biographical Sketches of the Secretaries of Transportation"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110316065145/http://dotlibrary.dot.gov/Historian/bios.htm
  8. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/us/politics/buttigieg-biden-cabinet.html
  9. "A Chronology of Dates Significant in the Background, History and Development of the Department of Transportation"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20080215013503/http://dotlibrary.dot.gov/Historian/chronology.htm
  10. "Ray LaHood—Secretary of Transportation"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120928155617/http://www.dot.gov/bios/lahood.htm
  11. "Second Cabinet member announces resignation over Trump's response to riot"
    https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/elaine-chao-cabinet-resignation-trump/index.html
  12. MLive
    https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/07/buttigieg-moves-to-michigan-changes-voter-registration.html
  13. Semafor
    https://www.semafor.com/article/02/06/2025/high-hopes-among-democrats-as-buttigieg-eyes-a-senate-bid
  14. "Executive Order 13485: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Transportation"
    https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayEO.cfm?id=EO_13485_
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