<P> The Secretary of State is a senior official of the federal government of the United States of America, and as head of the United States Department of State, is principally concerned with foreign policy and is considered to be the U.S. government's equivalent of a Minister for Foreign Affairs . </P> <P> The Secretary of State is nominated by the President of the United States and, following a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is confirmed by the United States Senate . The Secretary of State, along with the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General, are generally regarded as the four most important Cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments . Secretary of State is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level (currently $205,700). </P> <P> The current Secretary of State is Mike Pompeo . On March 13, 2018, President Donald Trump dismissed Rex Tillerson and nominated Pompeo, then Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to replace Tillerson . Tillerson announced later that day that his last day at the State Department would be March 31, 2018 . </P> <P> The stated duties of the Secretary of State are as follows: </P>

Who is the us secretary of the state