Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Seal of the Central Intelligence Agency
Flag of the Central Intelligence Agency
Incumbent John Ratcliffe since January 23, 2025
Central Intelligence Agency
Abbreviation	D/CIA
Reports to	Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
Seat	George Bush Center for Intelligence, Langley, Fairfax County, Virginia
Appointer	President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	50 U.S.C. § 3036
Precursor	Director of Central Intelligence
Formation	December 17, 2004
First holder	Porter J. Goss
Deputy	Deputy director
Salary	$225,700 Executive Schedule, Level II[1]
Website	www.cia.gov

The director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) is a statutory office (50 U.S.C. § 3036) that functions as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which in turn is a part of the United States Intelligence Community.

The director reports to the director of national intelligence (DNI) and is assisted by the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency (DD/CIA). The director is a civilian or a general or flag officer of the United States Armed Forces^[2] nominated by the president of the United States, with the recommendation from the DNI,^[3] and must be confirmed by a majority vote of the United States Senate.^[4]

Before April 21, 2005, the director of central intelligence (DCI) headed both the Intelligence Community and the Central Intelligence Agency. In addition, DCI served as an advisor to the president of the United States on intelligence matters and was the statutory intelligence advisor to the National Security Council (NSC). On April 21, 2005, the director of national intelligence (DNI) took on the roles of head of the Intelligence Community and principal intelligence advisor to the president and the NSC.

The post of DCI was established in 1946 by President Harry S. Truman;^[5] it thus predates the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency (created by the National Security Act of 1947). After the end of World War II, the Office of Strategic Services was dismantled. Its functions were split between the departments of state and war (now defense).^[6] Truman soon recognized the inefficiency of this arrangement and created the Central Intelligence Group,^[7] which could be considered a smaller precursor to the National Security Council.^[8] The following year the National Security Act of 1947 created the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Council, while formally defining the duties of the director of Central Intelligence. The duties of the DCI had been further defined over the years by tradition, congressional acts, and Executive Orders.

Beginning in February 2017, the D/CIA was elevated to Cabinet of the United States level status, as designated by the Trump administration. This ended with the beginning of the Biden administration.^[9] In July 2023, the D/CIA was once again elevated to Cabinet of the United States level status by the Biden administration.^[10]

The order of succession determines which official shall act and perform the functions and duties of the director in the event the director dies, resigns, or otherwise becomes unable to perform their duties. The official will serve as acting director.

If the official is already serving in an acting capacity, or otherwise not eligible under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, the order skips to the next person in line. However, the president of the United States retains discretion to depart from the list in designating an acting director.^[11]

Position succeeded the director of Central Intelligence.

No.	Image	Name	Start	End	President
1		Porter Goss[12]	April 21, 2005	May 5, 2006		George W. Bush (2001–2009)
2		Michael Hayden[13]	May 30, 2006	February 12, 2009
3		Leon Panetta[14]	February 13, 2009	June 30, 2011		Barack Obama (2009–2017)
–		Michael Morell Acting	July 1, 2011	September 6, 2011
4		David Petraeus[15]	September 6, 2011	November 9, 2012
–		Michael Morell Acting	November 9, 2012	March 8, 2013
5		John Brennan[16]	March 8, 2013	January 20, 2017
–		Meroe Park Acting	January 20, 2017	January 23, 2017		Donald Trump (2017–2021)
6		Mike Pompeo[17]	January 23, 2017	April 26, 2018
7		Gina Haspel	April 26, 2018 Acting: April 26, 2018 – May 21, 2018	January 20, 2021
–		David Cohen Acting	January 20, 2021	March 19, 2021		Joe Biden (2021–2025)
8		Bill Burns	March 19, 2021	January 20, 2025
–		Tom Sylvester Acting	January 20, 2025	January 23, 2025		Donald Trump (2025–present)
9		John Ratcliffe	January 23, 2025	present

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