The average time between cabinet nomination and confirmation is about 40 days. And once appointed, most cabinet members spend less than four years in their roles.
Chart: US cabinet appointees have less than 40 days on average to prepare to lead—and once they're confirmed, their average tenure is less than four years.
| Cabinet positions in order of presidential succession | Time between nomination and confirmation, days | Time in office for a cabinet member confirmed in a president's first term, years |
|---|---|---|
| State | 38 | 3.0 |
| Treasury | 47 | 3.0 |
| Defense | 28 | 3.9 |
| Justice | 43 | 4.8 |
| Interior | 36 | 4.3 |
| Agriculture | 36 | 4.2 |
| Commerce | 35 | 3.8 |
| Labor | 40 | 4.0 |
| Health and Human Services | 46 | 3.9 |
| Housing and Urban development | 37 | 4.9 |
| Transportation | 35 | 3.8 |
| Energy | 33 | 3.5 |
| Education | 27 | 5.7 |
| Veterans affairs1 | 41 | 3.7 |
| Homeland Security2 | 39 | 2.6 |
| Average | 37 | 3.9 |
Notes
1The Department of Veterans Affairs became a cabinet-level position in 1988; the first time a director was confirmed in a president's first term was in 1989.
2The Department of Homeland Security was created in 2002; the first time a director was confirmed in a president's first term was in 2009.
Source: United States Senate; current as of December 2020
McKinsey & Company
To read the article, see “Navigating the first 100 days: Lessons from former US cabinet members,” January 14, 2021.