The United States Department of State, like other agencies of the U.S. federal government, gives civilian decorations for outstanding service, sacrifice, or heroism. The criteria for the awards are set down in 3 FAM 4820 - Foreign Affairs Manual, 3 FAM - Personnel, section 3 FAM 4800 Department Awards Program.

State Department awards are broken down into four types: honor awards, achievement awards, service awards, and recognition awards. In addition, there are awards which are no longer given but for which certificates, ribbons, or medals may still be occasionally seen.

The Foreign Affairs Manual described the purpose of Department of State honor awards as to "bestow recognition on an individual or group who has made a significant contribution to the agency's mission" and states that "The honor awards vary in scope and magnitude. The impact of the act or deed which precipitates the nomination must be carefully examined, and consideration given to whether the act to be recognized benefits the post or bureau, the area, the agency, or the Federal Government as a whole." Upon authorization, members of the U.S. military may wear the medal and ribbon in the appropriate order of precedence as a U.S. non-military personal decoration.

As delineated in numerous diplomatic cables describing each one, achievement awards recognize specific service over the previous year in a specific field or job category. The majority of the awards include a certificate, signed by the Secretary of State and a cash bonus. The cash bonuses range from zero to $10,000. Some awards are sponsored by private donors, who are often former members of the Foreign Service. There is a minimum requirement for several valid nominations in a category in order for some awards to be presented; if there are insufficient nominees or the nominations do not meet a specific threshold, then no award is presented that year. Currently, none of the achievement awards includes a medal set.

Service awards are common for the Armed Forces but are not currently favored by the Director General of the Foreign Service. The Department of State currently awards two service awards, the Secretary's Career Achievement Award and the Expeditionary Service Award. The Expeditionary Service Award is a new award as of 2011 that recognizes service by Civil and Foreign Service employees in areas designated by the Director General of the Foreign Service.

Honor awards Honor awards bestow recognition on an individual or group who has made a significant contribution to the Department’s mission. The honor awards vary in scope and magnitude. The impact of the act or deed which precipitates the nomination is carefully examined, and consideration is given to whether the act to be recognized benefits the post or bureau, the area, the Department of State, or the Federal Government as a whole.

Secretary's Distinguished Service Award

The Secretary's Distinguished Service Award is presented at the discretion of the Secretary of State in recognition of exceptionally outstanding leadership, professional competence, and significant accomplishment over a sustained period of time in the field of foreign affairs. Such achievements must be of notable national or international significance and have made an important contribution to the advancement of U.S. national interests.

The award is personally authorized by the Secretary of State provided that one of the criteria eligibility in Foreign Affairs Manual is met. It may be presented to members of the foreign affairs communities.

The award consists of a gold medal set and a certificate signed by the Secretary.

Secretary's Award

The Secretary's Award is "presented to employees of State, USAID, and Marine guards assigned to diplomatic and consular facilities in recognition of sacrifice of health or life, in the performance of official duties." This award could be presented to members of the foreign affairs communities who were held hostage or captive while serving overseas on official orders.

The award consists of a medal set and a certificate signed by the Secretary.

Nominations for the Secretary's Award are submitted through supervisory channels to the Joint Country Awards Committee for review and recommendation to the chief of mission. Approved nominations will be forwarded through the appropriate area awards committee to the Department Awards Committee for final action. Nominations initiated in Washington are submitted through the appropriate area awards committee to the Department Awards Committee for final action.

Award for Heroism

The Award for Heroism is given "recognition of acts of courage or outstanding performance under unusually difficult or dangerous circumstances, whether or not in connection with the performance of assigned duties."

It may be granted for: (1) Sustained superior performance while under threat of physical attack or harassment; or (2) An individual act of courage or exceptional performance at the risk of personal safety.

The award consists of a sterling silver medal set and a certificate signed by the Secretary.

Nominations for the Award for Heroism are submitted through supervisory channels to the Joint Country Awards Committee for review and recommendation to the chief of mission. Approved nominations will be forwarded through the appropriate area awards committee to the Department Awards Committee for final action. Nominations initiated in Washington are submitted through the appropriate area awards committee to the Department Awards Committee for final action.

Due to the nature of their jobs and the dangerous environment where they often operate, Foreign Service Special Agents of the Diplomatic Security Service have earned this award on numerous occasions.

Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service

The Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service "recognizes those individuals who, while traveling or serving abroad on official business, are killed or incur a serious illness or injury that results in death, permanent incapacity or disability." It is roughly analogous to the Purple Heart, though it is almost always issued posthumously due to the strict requirements.

a. The Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service recognizes those individuals who, while traveling or serving abroad on official business, are killed or incur a serious illness or injury that results in death, permanent incapacity or disability.

b. The award consists of a Foreign Service Star Medal and a certificate signed by the President and the Secretary.

c. Posthumous awards shall be issued to the recipient employee's next of kin.

The award consists of a gold medal set and a certificate signed by the Secretary and the President.

Distinguished Honor Award

The Distinguished Honor Award is awarded to individuals or groups that provide:

(1) Exceptionally outstanding service to the agencies or the U.S. Government resulting in achievements of marked national or international significance; (2) Exceptionally outstanding service and/or leadership in the administration of one or more agency programs that results in the highly successful accomplishment of mission, or in a major attainment of objectives or specific accomplishment to meet unique or emergency situations; and (3) Outstanding accomplishments over a prolonged period that involve the exercise of authority or judgment in the public interest.

The award consists of a gold medal set and a certificate signed, as appropriate, by the Secretary of State. Due to the strict requirements of this award, only two members of the Foreign Service below the rank of Ambassador have ever been personally honored with this award.

Superior Honor Award

The Superior Honor Award is presented to groups or individuals in recognition of a special act or service or sustained extraordinary performance covering a period of one year or longer. The following criteria are applicable to granting a Superior Honor Award:

(1) Contributions, which had a substantial impact on the accomplishment of the agency's missions, goals, or objectives; (2) Accomplishments, which substantially contributed to the advancement of U.S. Government interests; (3) Exceptional performance in one or more areas of the employee’s official duties as defined in the Work Requirements Statement (Foreign Service) or Performance Plan (Civil Service); (4) Innovation and creativity in accomplishing long-term tasks or projects; (5) Contributions that resulted in increased productivity and efficiency, and economy of operations at agency level; and/or (6) Exceptional devotion to duty under adverse conditions.

The award consists of a certificate signed by an assistant secretary or an official of equivalent rank. The silver medal set is no longer awarded.

Meritorious Honor Award

The Meritorious Honor Award is presented to groups or individuals in recognition of a special act or service or sustained outstanding performance. The following criteria are applicable to granting a Meritorious Honor Award:

(1) Outstanding service in support of a one-time event (e.g., support for a major conference or summit meeting); (2) Innovation and creativity in accomplishing short-term tasks or projects; (3) Outstanding performance in one or more areas of the employee’s official duties as defined in the Work Requirements Statement (Foreign Service) or Performance Plan (Civil Service); and/or (4) Contributions that resulted in increased productivity and efficiency, and economy of operations at post or bureau level.

The award consists of a certificate signed by an assistant secretary or an official of equivalent rank. The bronze medal set is no longer awarded.

Achievement Awards As delineated in numerous diplomatic cables describing each one, achievement awards recognize specific service over the previous year in a specific field or job category. The majority of the awards include a certificate, signed by the Secretary of State and a cash bonus. The cash bonuses range from zero to $10,000. Many of the awards were sponsored by private donors, who are often formerly members of the Foreign Service, but the nominations for the awards still go through the Department of State’s awards committee each year.Numerous diplomatic cables and telegrams

Secretary's Award for Excellence in International Security Affairs

The award recognizes individual excellence in the development, negotiation and/or implementation of national policy and solutions to counter country-specific, regional and/or global nonproliferation, counter-proliferation, political-military, arms control, verification, and/or noncompliance challenges facing the United States. The winner receives a certificate signed by the Secretary of State and a $10,000 stipend and the runner-up receives a signed certificate and a $2,000 stipend.

Award for Excellence in Labor Diplomacy

The award recognizes Civil and Foreign Service personnel who emphasize the importance of labor diplomacy in promoting the values and ideals of American democracy abroad and illustrate the variety of tasks Labor Officers perform. The winner receives $10,000 and a certificate signed by the Secretaries of State and Labor. The runner-up receives $2,500 and a certificate signed by the Secretaries of State and Labor.

James A. Baker III – C. Howard Wilkins, Jr. Award for Outstanding Deputy Chief of Mission

This award is presented annually to a Deputy Chief of Mission who demonstrates the proficiency, creativity, and overall capacity to serve effectively as Deputy Chief of Mission and as Chargé d'Affaires in the Ambassador's absence. The award consists of a certificate signed by the Secretary of State and $5,000. This award is made possible by C. Howard Wilkins, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, and is named to honor him and former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III.

Warren Christopher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Global Affairs