Did the Southern Company CEO Get a Raise?
No — pay was essentially flat. Chris Womack's total compensation was essentially unchanged at $8.0M in 2016, from $8.0M in 2015, per Southern Company's SEC DEF 14A filings.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: Did the Southern Company CEO Get a Raise?. The answer draws on SEC DEF 14A proxy statements, the public disclosure mechanism for U.S. public-company executive pay. Every public company must file an annual proxy statement disclosing CEO and named-executive-officer compensation in detail. Why this matters for shareholders: executive compensation is the single most-disclosed governance metric at U.S. public companies, and the Dodd-Frank-mandated say-on-pay vote gives shareholders an explicit channel to express approval or dissent. Reading pay data well — including pay-versus-performance, peer-group selection, and time-vesting structures — is a basic part of stock-by-stock fundamental analysis.
The detailed answer below uses the actual proxy-statement filings, explains how to read them, and translates the executive-compensation accounting into the shareholder-relevant interpretation.
Chris Womack Pay: 2015 → 2016
- 2016 total comp
- $8,000,000
- 2015 total comp
- $8,000,000
- Change ($)
- +$0
- Change (%)
- +0%
Source: Southern Company SEC DEF 14A proxy statements, 2015 and 2016 Summary Compensation Tables.
In its latest proxy statement, Southern Company reported Chris Womack's 2016 total compensation at $8,000,000 — essentially flat versus $8,000,000 in 2015.
Across the disclosed history, Chris Womack's total pay has run: 2013, $8.0M; 2014, $8.0M; 2015, $8.0M; 2016, $8.0M. CEO compensation is lumpy year to year because equity grants — the largest component — are often awarded in multi-year blocks rather than evenly, so a single year's jump or drop can reflect grant timing as much as a change in pay philosophy.
Whether a raise is warranted ties back to performance: Southern Company posted a 5.0% three-year total shareholder return on 8.2% revenue growth, and the package carries a CEOPay Pay-for-Performance grade of B (71/100).
Compensation Detail
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $8,000,000 |
| Base Salary | $800,000 |
| Stock Awards | $4,000,000 |
| Option Awards | $960,000 |
| Non-Equity Incentive | $1,200,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 84:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | B |
Other Electric Utilities CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
No — pay was essentially flat. Chris Womack's total compensation was essentially unchanged at $8.0M in 2016, from $8.0M in 2015, per Southern Company's SEC DEF 14A filings.
Chris Womack, CEO of Southern Company, earned $8.0M in total compensation in 2016, including $4.0M in stock awards and $800,000 in base salary.
In 2016, total compensation of $8,000,000 was composed of $800,000 base salary, $0 cash bonus, $4,000,000 stock awards, $960,000 option awards, and $1,200,000 in non-equity incentive compensation.
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates Southern Company as B (71/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of 5.0%, revenue growth of 8.2%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
Chris Womack is the chief executive officer of Southern Company (SO).
More about Southern Company
No — pay was essentially flat. Chris Womack's total compensation was essentially unchanged at $8.0M in 2016, from $8.0M in 2015, per Southern Company's SEC DEF 14A filings.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.