United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture


The United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Deputy Secretary becomes Acting Secretary of Agriculture in the event of the Secretary's resignation, death, or otherwise inability to fulfill the duties of the position. The Deputy Secretary performs whatever duties are prescribed to him or her by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is paid at level II of the Executive Schedule, meaning he or she receives a basic salary of $177,000 annually.
The position of Deputy Secretary of Agriculture was originally called the Under Secretary of Agriculture, until the title was changed in 1976. Previous Deputy Secretaries by recency include Chuck Conner, Jim Moseley , Richard Rominger, Ann Veneman, and Jack Parnell. On July 13, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Stephen Censky, the CEO of the American Soybean Association, as deputy secretary. Censky was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 3, 2017.
Two Deputy Secretaries have gone on to head the Department of Agriculter, Ann Veneman and Richard Lyng.

List of Deputy Secretaries of Agriculture

denotes Acting Deputy Secretary
; Parties