The secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury^[2] which is concerned with all financial and monetary matters relating to the federal government, and, until 2003, also included several major federal law enforcement agencies. This position in the federal government of the United States is analogous to the minister of finance in many other countries. The Secretary of the treasury is a member of the president's Cabinet, and is nominated by the president of the United States. Nominees for secretary of the treasury undergo a confirmation hearing before the United States Senate Committee on Finance before being voted on by the United States Senate.

The secretary of the treasury, the secretary of state, the attorney general, and the secretary of defense are generally regarded as the four most important cabinet officials because of the importance of their departments.^[5] The secretary of the treasury is a non-statutory member of the U.S. National Security Council and fifth in the United States presidential line of succession.

The secretary along with the treasurer of the United States must sign Federal Reserve notes before they can become legal tender. The secretary also manages the United States Emergency Economic Stabilization fund.

Most of the department's law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Customs Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Secret Service were reassigned to other departments in 2003 in conjunction with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

The salary of the secretary of the treasury is $205,700 annually.

No party (1) Federalist (4) Democratic-Republican (4) Democratic (29) Whig (5) Republican (34)

1 William Jones served as acting secretary between the resignation of Alexander J. Dallas and appointment of William H. Crawford.

2 Deputy Secretary of the Treasury M. Peter McPherson served as acting secretary of the treasury from August 17, 1988, to September 15, 1988.

3 Because of the resignation of Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Roger Altman in August 1994, Under Secretary of Treasury for Domestic Finance Frank N. Newman served from December 22, 1994, to January 11, 1995 as acting secretary of the treasury.

4 Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Kenneth W. Dam served as acting secretary of the treasury from December 31, 2002, to February 3, 2003.

5 Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert M. Kimmitt served as acting secretary of the treasury from June 30, 2006, to July 9, 2006.

6 Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart A. Levey served as acting secretary of the treasury from January 20, 2009, until the confirmation of Timothy Geithner, which occurred January 26, 2009.

7 Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin served as acting secretary of the treasury from January 25, 2013, until the confirmation of Jack Lew which occurred February 28, 2013.

8 Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam J. Szubin served as acting secretary of the treasury from January 20, 2017, until the confirmation of Steven Mnuchin which occurred February 13, 2017.

If both the secretary and the deputy secretary of the treasury are unable to carry out the duties of the office of secretary of the treasury, then whichever treasury official of under secretary rank sworn in earliest assumes the role of acting secretary. Positions listed on the Department of the Treasury website include the under secretary for domestic finance, the under secretary for international affairs, and the under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

As of September 2019, there are eleven living former secretaries of the treasury (with all secretaries that have served since 1995 still living), the oldest being George P. Shultz (served 1972–1974, born 1920). The most recent secretary of the treasury to die, as well as the most recently serving secretary to die, was Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. (served 1993–1994, born 1921), on May 23, 2006.