The secretary shall appoint a deputy secretary, a department personnel director and such assistant secretaries as shall be needed to administer the department. The deputy secretary shall have charge and general supervision of the department in the absence or disability of the secretary, and in case of a vacancy in the office of secretary, shall continue in charge of the department until a successor is appointed and qualified, or until the governor shall appoint an acting secretary. The officers appointed under this section, and exempt from the provisions of the state civil service law by the terms of *RCW
41.06.076, shall be paid salaries to be fixed by the governor in accordance with the procedure established by law for the fixing of salaries for officers exempt from the operation of the state civil service law.