Department of State - Federal Departments

Year Founded: 1789

Employees: 12,639

Outlay: $16B / year

Employee Expense: $1.46B in 2022

The Federal Government is broken down into fifteen departments, each of which consists of a number of sub-departments and organizational groups tasked with accomplishing the Department's overall goals.

The Department of State (DoS) is responsible for foreign relations and is the equivalent of the Foreign Ministry of other countries. The State Department develops policies, plans and programs to achieve the foreign policy objectives of United States at home and abroad. The State Department helps to negotiate treaties between other nations while promoting U.S. interests.

Who does the Department of State hire?

The State Department employs specialists in a wide range fields who can inform policy and decision making related to foreign policy. The DoS hires Accountants, Attorneys, Economists, Technology Specialists, Environmental Experts, Socialists, Psychologist and Medical Professionals in addition to other support positions. Ambassadors and employees working in U.S. Consulates around the world are employed by the Department of State.

In 2022, the most common occupation employed by the Department of State was Foreign Affairs at 2,484 employees. The second largest occupation was Passport And Visa Examining with 1,507 employees.

The Department of State is based in Washington D.C. The majority of DoS employees are located at the Headquarters building or at the DoSs second office if Charleston, South Caroline. In addition to these two major offices, the DoS employs professionals at the U.S. embassies around the world.

History of the Department of State

The Department of State is the nation's oldest federal department. The young nation realized it needed department dedicated to dealing with foreign affairs. A bill establishing the DoS was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington on July 27, 1789.

The DoS's responsibilities grew to include administering the census, managing the mint, and keeping the Great Seal of the United States which is used to authenticate certain federal documents. Over the years many of these functions were moved to other federal departments. Today the DoS's primary mission is handling foreign affairs however the department does still handle some domestic affairs. The DoS is still the bearer of the Great Seal if the President or Vise-President wish to resign they must furnish their resignation letter to the Secretary of State. Also the Secretary of State is 4th in line to the presidency.

The first Secretary of State was Thomas Jefferson, who at the time was the Minister to France. Jefferson was appointed by President Washington. Before Jefferson could return from Europe to fill his role as Secretary of State, John Jay served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs as a holdover from the Revolutionary War.

Initially named "Department of Foreign Affairs".

Average Pay of an Employee in the Department of State

Agencies in the Department of State (2022)