Simone Lawson
The US Foreign Service has a system of ranks for its diplomatic personnel, with the highest rank being the career ambassador. This is the foreign service's highest personal rank, granted to only a handful of US diplomats. The rank of minister, which was previously held by the head of a diplomatic mission, is now obsolete. Other senior diplomatic ranks in the US include career minister, minister-counsellor, counsellor, and first secretary. In addition, there are various functional and organizational titles, such as attaché, secretary, and consul, which may be established by the post and used locally but do not denote rank.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Highest rank in U.S. diplomacy | Career ambassador |
| Number of career ambassadors in 2017 | 2 |
| Number of career ambassadors before 2017 | 5 |
| Other senior ranks | Career minister, minister-counselor, counselor, first secretary |
| Other ranks | Consular ranks: consul-general, consul, vice-consul, consular agent |
| Attaché | Lowest diplomatic rank in Soviet and post-Soviet diplomatic services |
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What You'll Learn
Ambassador – the highest rank in US diplomacy
Ambassadors are the highest-ranking diplomats in the US and are generally based at the embassy in the host country. They are under the jurisdiction of the Department of State and answer directly to the secretary of state. Ambassadors serve "at the pleasure of the President", meaning the President can dismiss them at any time. Appointments change regularly for various reasons, such as reassignment or retirement.
An ambassador may be a career Foreign Service officer (career diplomat – CD) or a political appointee (PA). In most cases, career foreign service officers serve a tour of approximately three years per ambassadorship, whereas political appointees customarily resign upon the inauguration of a new president.
The rank of ambassador is equivalent to an ambassador-at-large, who is assigned specific tasks or regions with various assignments aimed at multi-track diplomacy. A permanent representative is also equivalent to an ambassador but is accredited to an international body, usually by member or observer states, rather than to a head of state.
The personal rank of Career Ambassador is the highest and most prestigious rank in the Foreign Service. It is the diplomatic equivalent of the military's four-star generals and admirals. Under the Foreign Service Act of 1980, the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, can confer the personal rank of Career Ambassador upon a career member of the Senior Foreign Service in recognition of especially distinguished service over a sustained period.
In the history of the Foreign Service, only 62 officers have achieved the rank of Career Ambassador. Notable Career Ambassadors include Philip S. Goldberg, David Hale, Michele Sison, and Daniel B. Smith.
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Attaché – the lowest rank in Soviet and post-Soviet diplomacy
In the United States Foreign Service, diplomatic personnel are assigned personal ranks that correspond to diplomatic ranks. The highest rank in US diplomacy is that of Ambassador, who may retain their title upon retirement.
In contrast, the lowest rank in Soviet and post-Soviet diplomacy is that of Attaché. While the term "attaché" is often used to refer to various traditional functionary roles, such as press attaché or cultural attaché, it does not denote any official rank or position outside of the Soviet and post-Soviet systems. In these contexts, attachés are typically overseas A2-grade officers.
The use of the title "attaché" can be a sensitive issue. For example, functional and organisational titles used by Foreign Service employees and Civil Service employees of non-foreign affairs agencies abroad must not include the word "attaché", as this may be confused with a commissioned diplomatic title.
In the Soviet and post-Soviet context, attachés are typically support staff who benefit from limited diplomatic immunity. In other systems, these staff may be given consular ranks, which differ from country to country and may be used concurrently with diplomatic titles if the individual is assigned to an embassy.
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Counsellor – a D7 officer rank
In the United States Foreign Service, a system of personal ranks is applied, which roughly corresponds to the diplomatic ranks used internationally. One such rank is that of Counsellor – a D7 officer rank.
Counsellors are typically found in larger diplomatic posts, where they serve as the Deputy Heads of Mission. In medium-sized posts, they may even act as the Heads of Mission, while in smaller posts, a D7 officer is likely to be the Head of Mission. The role of a counsellor in the US Foreign Service is thus a senior one, often just below the Head of Mission or Ambassador, who is the highest-ranking diplomat in US diplomacy.
The rank of Counsellor is also used in other countries' diplomatic services, where it may have a different set of responsibilities and a varying position in the hierarchy. For example, many countries use the title of minister-counsellor to refer to the deputy head of a mission, but this role does not hold the rank of minister.
It is important to note that while an individual may hold a certain personal rank, they may only use the diplomatic title specifically authorized by the Department for their position. This title is approved by the Department for use at the assigned post and should not be used outside of the approved context.
The US Foreign Service also allows for the appointment of Consular Officers of the United States of America, who are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. These officers are typically members of the Service of class 6 and above, and their appointments continue in force at the pleasure of the President.
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Consular ranks – consul-general, consul, vice-consul, consular agent
The US diplomatic corps is composed of career diplomats who are posted to consulates or consulates-general. These diplomats hold consular ranks, which differ from country to country. In the US, the consular career ranks in descending order are: consul-general, consul, vice-consul, and consular agent. These consular officials have limited diplomatic immunity, which is generally restricted to immunity concerning their official duties.
The consul-general is the highest-ranking consul, appointed to a consulate-general. They are responsible for consular districts that contain other subordinate consular offices within a country. While the consul-general serves as a representative of their state in the host country, the ultimate jurisdiction over the right to speak on behalf of their home country rests with the single ambassador.
The consul is the second-highest rank in the consular career. Consuls of various ranks may have specific legal authority for certain activities, such as notarizing documents. They may also be responsible for issuing visas and protecting the interests of their citizens in the host country.
The third rank is the vice-consul, who may be in charge of administrative and accounting functions within the consulate.
Finally, the consular agent is the fourth and lowest rank in the US consular career.
It is worth noting that consular officials may also hold diplomatic ranks and carry out diplomatic duties within the consular section of an embassy. Additionally, in exceptional circumstances, members of rank lower than class 6 may be appointed as Consular Officers of the United States of America for the duration of specific assignments.
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Senior Foreign Service – the highest rank in the US Foreign Service
The Senior Foreign Service (SFS) is the highest rank in the US Foreign Service. It was established by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to create a cadre of senior, policy-level foreign affairs professionals. The Act describes the Senior Foreign Service as the "corps of leaders and experts for the management of the Service and the performance of its functions".
The Senior Foreign Service is made up of four grades, from highest to lowest: Career Ambassador, Career Minister, Minister-Counselor, and Counselor. The President may, with the advice and consent of the Senate, confer the rank of Career Ambassador upon a member of the Senior Foreign Service in recognition of especially distinguished service over a sustained period. The other three ranks were established by President Ronald Reagan through Executive Order 12293.
Officers at the Senior Foreign Service rank may serve as ambassadors and occupy the most senior positions in diplomatic missions. Like the rest of the Foreign Service, Senior Foreign Service officers are subject to time-in-class provisions, which means that if they are not promoted within a specific time frame for the rank, they are mandatorily retired. The time in class for each grade varies by grade and by foreign affairs agency, and is established by agency regulation.
Secretarial titles may be granted based on class rank. A Senior Foreign Service officer (or SFS career candidate) of class 1 or 2 may be designated a first secretary, while a Foreign Service officer (or FSO career candidate) of class 3 or 4 may be designated a second secretary. Attaché titles may also be granted on the basis of class rank. The title of attaché may be accorded to Senior Foreign Service officers (or SFS career candidates) and other members of the Service at classes 1 through 4.
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Frequently asked questions
The highest rank in US diplomacy is Ambassador. Ambassadors are considered to be the most senior career grade for a diplomatic officer.
The second-highest rank in US diplomacy is career ambassador. This is the foreign service's highest personal rank and is granted to only a handful of US diplomats.
The lowest rank in US diplomacy is Attaché, although this does not denote any rank or position outside of Soviet and post-Soviet diplomatic services.
