Atlanta CEOs' Pay Ratios Expose Wide Worker Gaps

Proxy filings show steep CEO-to-worker pay gaps in Atlanta; Coca‑Cola's 2025 filing reports a 1,739:1 ratio, fueling scrutiny ahead of annual meetings.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 3:07pm

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A minimalist studio still life photograph featuring a stack of dollar bills, a silver trophy, and a single gold coin, symbolizing the stark pay disparities between corporate executives and their employees.Corporate filings reveal a growing chasm between the lavish pay of Atlanta's top executives and the modest wages of their average workers.Atlanta Today

A new analysis of corporate proxy filings shows a stark gap between what Atlanta's biggest chief executives took home in 2025 and what their median workers earned. Some local CEOs pulled hundreds of times the pay of a typical employee, and at least one company's filing puts the gulf in the thousands. These eye-popping ratios have sharpened the debate over pay and board oversight ahead of upcoming annual shareholder meetings.

Why it matters

The wide CEO-to-worker pay gaps revealed in these proxy filings have sparked scrutiny over corporate pay practices and whether boards are properly overseeing executive compensation. As shareholders and workers get a clearer window into these pay disparities, companies may face pointed questions about how they set and disclose executive pay.

The details

A roundup of local proxy filings collected by Atlanta Business Journal shows wide CEO-to-worker ratios among Atlanta-headquartered public companies. One standout is The Coca-Cola Company's filing, which estimates a roughly 1,739-to-1 CEO-to-median-employee ratio for 2025. Coca-Cola's filing says its identified median employee was a part-time, hourly barista at Costa in the U.K. with annual total compensation of $17,947, while the company reported CEO James Quincey's 2025 total at $31,208,165.

  • Proxy filings were filed this spring as companies prepare for annual meetings.
  • The pay ratio disclosures cover the 2025 fiscal year.

The players

The Coca-Cola Company

An Atlanta-headquartered public company that reported a 1,739-to-1 CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio in its 2025 proxy filing.

James Quincey

The CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, who had total compensation of $31,208,165 in 2025 according to the company's proxy filing.

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What they’re saying

“Numbers like Coca-Cola's are not just statistics, they shape reputations, boardroom scrutiny and local debate over wages and fairness.”

— Marc Washington, Author

What’s next

Investors will be watching how boards explain pay-for-performance links and whether companies change methodology or disclosure in next year's filings.

The takeaway

The wide CEO-to-worker pay gaps revealed in these Atlanta proxy filings have sparked scrutiny over corporate pay practices and whether boards are properly overseeing executive compensation. As shareholders and workers get a clearer window into these pay disparities, companies may face pointed questions about how they set and disclose executive pay.