United States federal executive departments
Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:44:15 PM Wikipedia source
The United States federal executive departments are the principal units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States. The executive departments are the administrative arms of the president of the United States. They are analogous to ministries common in parliamentary or semi-presidential systems but (the United States being a presidential system) they are led by a head of government who is also the head of state. There are currently 15 executive departments.
Tables
· Current departments
Title
Title
Department
Title
Seal
Titleholder
State
State
Department
State
Seal
Flag
Formed
July 27, 1789
Employees
(2026)
11,713
Total budget
(2023)
$58 billion
Head
Secretary of State
Head
Marco Rubio
Treasury
Treasury
Department
Treasury
Seal
Flag
Formed
September 2, 1789
Employees
(2026)
89,881
Total budget
(2023)
$16 billion
Head
Secretary of the Treasury
Head
Scott Bessent
Interior
Interior
Department
Interior
Seal
Flag
Formed
March 3, 1849
Employees
(2026)
56,872
Total budget
(2023)
$18 billion
Head
Secretary of the Interior
Head
Doug Burgum
Agriculture
Agriculture
Department
Agriculture
Seal
Flag
Formed
May 15, 1862
Employees
(2026)
72,049
Total budget
(2023)
$242 billion
Head
Secretary of Agriculture
Head
Brooke Rollins
Justice
Justice
Department
Justice
Seal
Flag
Formed
July 1, 1870
Employees
(2026)
107,415
Total budget
(2023)
$37 billion
Head
Attorney General
Head
Todd Blanche (Acting)
Commerce
Commerce
Department
Commerce
Seal
Flag
Formed
February 14, 1903
Employees
(2026)
42,084
Total budget
(2023)
$16 billion
Head
Secretary of Commerce
Head
Howard Lutnick
Labor
Labor
Department
Labor
Seal
Flag
Formed
March 4, 1913
Employees
(2026)
12,421
Total budget
(2023)
$97 billion
Head
Secretary of Labor
Head
Keith E. Sonderling (Acting)
Defense (War)
Defense (War)
Department
Defense (War)
Seal
Flag
Formed
September 18, 1947
Employees
(2026)
707,378
Total budget
(2023)
$852 billion
Head
Secretary of Defense (War)
Head
Pete Hegseth
Health and Human Services
Health and Human Services
Department
Health and Human Services
Seal
Flag
Formed
April 11, 1953
Employees
(2026)
75,134
Total budget
(2023)
$1 trillion
Head
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Head
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Housing and Urban Development
Housing and Urban Development
Department
Housing and Urban Development
Seal
Flag
Formed
September 9, 1965
Employees
(2026)
6,299
Total budget
(2023)
$61 billion
Head
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Head
Scott Turner
Transportation
Transportation
Department
Transportation
Seal
Flag
Formed
April 1, 1967
Employees
(2026)
53,512
Total budget
(2023)
$145 billion
Head
Secretary of Transportation
Head
Sean Duffy
Energy
Energy
Department
Energy
Seal
Flag
Formed
August 4, 1977
Employees
(2026)
14,955
Total budget
(2023)
$45 billion
Head
Secretary of Energy
Head
Chris Wright
Education
Education
Department
Education
Seal
Flag
Formed
October 17, 1979
Employees
(2026)
2,453
Total budget
(2023)
$79 billion
Head
Secretary of Education
Head
Linda McMahon
Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs
Department
Veterans Affairs
Seal
Flag
Formed
March 15, 1989
Employees
(2026)
451,121
Total budget
(2023)
$308 billion
Head
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Head
Doug Collins
Homeland Security
Homeland Security
Department
Homeland Security
Seal
Flag
Formed
November 25, 2002
Employees
(2026)
227,584
Total budget
(2023)
$101 billion
Head
Secretary of Homeland Security
Head
Markwayne Mullin
| Department | Seal | Flag | Formed | Employees (2026) | Total budget (2023) | Head | ||
| Title | Titleholder | |||||||
| State | | | July 27, 1789 | 11,713 | $58 billion | Secretary of State | Marco Rubio | |
| Treasury | | | September 2, 1789 | 89,881 | $16 billion | Secretary of the Treasury | Scott Bessent | |
| Interior | | | March 3, 1849 | 56,872 | $18 billion | Secretary of the Interior | Doug Burgum | |
| Agriculture | | | May 15, 1862 | 72,049 | $242 billion | Secretary of Agriculture | Brooke Rollins | |
| Justice | | | July 1, 1870 | 107,415 | $37 billion | Attorney General | Todd Blanche (Acting) | |
| Commerce | | | February 14, 1903 | 42,084 | $16 billion | Secretary of Commerce | Howard Lutnick | |
| Labor | | | March 4, 1913 | 12,421 | $97 billion | Secretary of Labor | Keith E. Sonderling (Acting) | |
| Defense (War) | | | September 18, 1947 | 707,378 | $852 billion | Secretary of Defense (War) | Pete Hegseth | |
| Health and Human Services | | | April 11, 1953 | 75,134 | $1 trillion | Secretary of Health and Human Services | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | |
| Housing and Urban Development | | | September 9, 1965 | 6,299 | $61 billion | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | Scott Turner | |
| Transportation | | | April 1, 1967 | 53,512 | $145 billion | Secretary of Transportation | Sean Duffy | |
| Energy | | | August 4, 1977 | 14,955 | $45 billion | Secretary of Energy | Chris Wright | |
| Education | | | October 17, 1979 | 2,453 | $79 billion | Secretary of Education | Linda McMahon | |
| Veterans Affairs | | | March 15, 1989 | 451,121 | $308 billion | Secretary of Veterans Affairs | Doug Collins | |
| Homeland Security | | | November 25, 2002 | 227,584 | $101 billion | Secretary of Homeland Security | Markwayne Mullin | |
· Former departments
Title
Title
Department
Title
Formed
Titleholder
War
War
Department
War
Formed
August 7, 1789
Removed from Cabinet
September 18, 1947
Superseded by
Department of the Army
Department of the Air Force
Last Cabinet-level head
Secretary of War
Last Cabinet-level head
Kenneth Claiborne Royall
Navy
Navy
Department
Navy
Formed
April 30, 1798
Removed from Cabinet
August 10, 1949
Superseded by
Department of Defense
(as executive department)
became and still are military departments within the Department of Defense
Last Cabinet-level head
Secretary of the Navy
Last Cabinet-level head
Francis P. Matthews
Army
Army
Department
Army
Formed
September 18, 1947
Removed from Cabinet
Secretary of the Army
Superseded by
Gordon Gray
Air Force
Air Force
Department
Air Force
Formed
Secretary of the Air Force
Removed from Cabinet
Stuart Symington
Post Office
Post Office
Department
Post Office
Formed
February 20, 1792
Removed from Cabinet
July 1, 1971
Superseded by
United States Postal Service
Last Cabinet-level head
Postmaster General
Last Cabinet-level head
Winton M. Blount
Commerce and Labor
Commerce and Labor
Department
Commerce and Labor
Formed
February 14, 1903
Removed from Cabinet
March 4, 1913
Superseded by
Department of Commerce
Department of Labor
(The Department of Commerce is considered a continuation of the Department of Commerce and Labor under a new name.)
Last Cabinet-level head
Secretary of Commerce and Labor
Last Cabinet-level head
Charles Nagel
Health, Education, and Welfare
Health, Education, and Welfare
Department
Health, Education, and Welfare
Formed
April 11, 1953
Removed from Cabinet
October 17, 1979
Superseded by
Department of Education
Department of Health and Human Services
(The Department of Health and Human Services is considered a continuation of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under a new name.)
Last Cabinet-level head
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
Last Cabinet-level head
Patricia Roberts Harris
| Department | Formed | Removed from Cabinet | Superseded by | Last Cabinet-level head | ||
| Title | Titleholder | |||||
| War | August 7, 1789 | September 18, 1947 | Department of the Army Department of the Air Force | Secretary of War | Kenneth Claiborne Royall | |
| Navy | April 30, 1798 | August 10, 1949 | Department of Defense (as executive department) became and still are military departments within the Department of Defense | Secretary of the Navy | Francis P. Matthews | |
| Army | September 18, 1947 | Secretary of the Army | Gordon Gray | |||
| Air Force | Secretary of the Air Force | Stuart Symington | ||||
| Post Office | February 20, 1792 | July 1, 1971 | United States Postal Service | Postmaster General | Winton M. Blount | |
| Commerce and Labor | February 14, 1903 | March 4, 1913 | Department of Commerce Department of Labor (The Department of Commerce is considered a continuation of the Department of Commerce and Labor under a new name.) | Secretary of Commerce and Labor | Charles Nagel | |
| Health, Education, and Welfare | April 11, 1953 | October 17, 1979 | Department of Education Department of Health and Human Services (The Department of Health and Human Services is considered a continuation of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under a new name.) | Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare | Patricia Roberts Harris | |
References
- A 2025 executive order authorized "Department of War" as a secondary name, which is now preferred by the department. How
- 5 U . § 101.https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/101
- The Odd Clauses: Understanding the Constitution Through Ten of Its Most Curious Provisionshttps://books.google.com/books?id=279vDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA17
- The Odd Clauses: Understanding the Constitution Through Ten of Its Most Curious Provisionshttps://books.google.com/books?id=279vDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA11
- The Odd Clauses: Understanding the Constitution Through Ten of Its Most Curious Provisionshttps://books.google.com/books?id=279vDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA13
- Federal Grants to State and Local Governments: A Historical Perspective on Contemporary Issueshttps://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R40638.pdf
- The Affordable Care Act and Medicare in Comparative Contexthttps://books.google.com/books?id=wudBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25
- datahttp://web.archive.org/web/20260212015954/https://data.opm.gov/explore-data/analytics/workforce-size-and-composition
- "Congressional Budget Justification - Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. FISCAL YEAR 2024"https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FY-2024-CBJ-FINAL_4.26.2023.pdf
- United States Treasuryhttps://home.treasury.gov/system/files/266/FY-2024-Budget-in-Brief.pdf
- "Fiscal Year 2024 The Interior Budget in Brief"https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/fy2024-bib-entire-book-508.pdf
- "United States Department of Agriculture - FY2024 Budget Summary"https://web.archive.org/web/20230929014145/https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-usda-budget-summary.pdf
- "U . DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FY 2024 BUDGET SUMMARY"https://web.archive.org/web/20250206033807/https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-03/2-_fy_24_budget_summary_-_03.9.23_1245pm.pdf
- "Departmental Overview - Department of Commerce"https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/FY2024-BIB-Introduction.pdf
- "FY 2024 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR - BUDGET IN BRIEF"https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/general/budget/2024/FY2024BIB.pdf
- Federal Registerhttps://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/10/2025-17508/restoring-the-united-states-department-of-war
- "Defense Budget Overview - FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET REQUEST"https://comptroller.war.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2024/FY2024_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf
- "U . Department of Health & Human Services - Fiscal Year 2024 Budget in Brief"https://web.archive.org/web/20230309195330/https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fy-2024-budget-in-brief.pdf
- "DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT - 2024 CONGRESSIONAL JUSTIFICATIONS"https://web.archive.org/web/20230314160717/https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/CFO/documents/2024-HUD-Congressional-Justifications.pdf
- "Budget Highlights 2024 - Secretary of Transportation"https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2023-03/BudgetHL2024_Mar09_3pm_508.pdf