Kristi Noem was sworn in as the eighth Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in January 2025, serving under President Trump’s Cabinet and administration.
First a South Dakota rancher, then a member of her state’s legislature, Noem was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served from 2011 to 2019 before becoming her home state’s governor.
Now, as Homeland Security Secretary, Noem oversees the third-largest department within the U.S. government and commands a significant workforce of 260,000 employees.
The department’s 22 organizations are responsible for immigration and security issues, and those include the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service.
Here’s how much Noem is worth and how much she makes as Homeland Security chief.
What is Kristi Noem’s net worth?
Noem has a net worth of around $1 million, based on a financial disclosure filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics in August 2024.
Noem has mutual funds, index funds, exchange-traded funds, and retirement plans valued at between $174,000 and $560,000. Other assets include cash savings that amounted to as much as $265,000 at the time of the disclosure, as well as livestock and equipment valued at up to $100,000.
The assets of her husband, Bryon Noem, exceed hers, though. Bryon Noem has investments in commercial real estate valued at as much as $500,000, and an eponymous insurance broker, Noem Insurance, LLC, valued at between around $1 million and $5 million. Equity fund investments, including ETFs and index funds, amounted to between around $67,000 and $315,000.
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How much does Kristi Noem make as U.S. Homeland Security chief?
Noem has an annual salary of $250,600 as head of Homeland Security. That’s more than double her previous yearly pay of about $122,000 as governor of South Dakota.
As a U.S. congressperson from 2011 to 2019, Noem made $174,000 per year, the annual compensation level for U.S. House representatives since 2009.
Who is Kristi Noem?
Kristi Noem was born in Watertown, South Dakota on Nov. 30, 1971, and she grew up on her family’s ranch and farm. She has received two advances totaling almost $180,000 on books about her life, yet to be published.
Education
Noem attended Northern State University in Aberdeen but left to operate the family ranch following her father’s death in a farming accident. While serving in public office, Noem took classes at South Dakota State University, and she graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science in 2011.
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Political career
Noem started her political career representing the 6th District, which included Hamlin County where the family farm is situated, in the South Dakota Legislature from 2007 to 2011 for the Republican Party.
From 2011 to 2019, Noem served as South Dakota’s sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2019, she started her term as the state’s first female governor — and gained national attention along the way for her vocal support of Trump — before stepping down in 2025 to assume the Homeland Security chief position.
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How does Kristi Noem spend her money?
Noem was a small business owner and operated her family’s ranch before she entered politics. The Noems lived in the governor’s mansion in Pierre, South Dakota while she served as governor from 2019 until 2025, but reportedly maintained a home on the family farm.
She and her husband have a 15-year mortgage on their personal residence at between $100,001 and $250,000 at a 1.875% annual interest rate, according to Noem’s financial disclosure.
The Noems own other types of property and have significant borrowings, including more than $1 million in commercial property loans and over $1.5 million in business loans.
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