Washington  - Hillary Clinton has decided to accept the job of secretary of state in president-elect Barack Obama's administration, the New York Times reported Friday on its website.

Clinton has been rumoured for weeks to be the top candidate for the job and has been going through an extensive vetting process by the Obama transition team, along with her husband and former president Bill Clinton.

Clinton reportedly accepted the job after holding additional discussions with Obama about his foreign policy priorities and her role in the administration.

Once Obama's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, the two also met last week in Chicago to first discuss the possibility of her taking on the role of the top US diplomat.

Clinton's nomination could be formally announced before the end of the month, US media reported. (dpa)