How many employees work at Southern?
The Southern Co. (SO) has approximately 29,912 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Southern’s total headcount has grown 3.8% from 28,826 employees in 2023 to 29,912 in 2026.
Is Southern hiring right now?
Yes, Southern is actively hiring. Southern had 568 active job postings in 2026, a 21.0% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Southern’s Workforce
The Southern Co. (SO) is an Energy and Resources company that employs 29,912 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 3rd-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1945, the company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Southern's workforce has grown 3.8% from 2023 to 2026, up 0.1% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 28,677 in 2023 Q3 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (94.3%), followed by South Asia (1.3%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (0.8%).
Southern's functional groups are Finance and Operations (44.8%), Engineering (30.9%), and Sales and Marketing (24.3%), with Finance and Operations growing fastest (up 0.7%). The average salary is $91,042, ranging from a median of $86,000 in North America to $9,000 in South Asia.
Southern's active job postings fell 21.0% in 2026 to 568, with new postings per month cooling from 481 in 2023 to 392 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: SO
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Founded
- 1945
- Industry
- Energy and Resources
- Employees
- 29,912
- YoY
- +0.1% (+694)
As of March 2026
Southern workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Southern. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsSouthern Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Southern had 29,912 employees in 2026, a 0.1% increase (+694) from 2025.
- Southern had 29,889 employees in 2025, a 0.2% increase (+797) from 2024.
- Southern had 29,092 employees in 2024, a 0% no change (+407) from 2023.
- Southern had 28,685 employees in 2023, a 0.1% decline (+193) from 2022.
Southern's total workforce has grown from 28,826 employees in 2023 to 29,912 in 2026.
The Southern Co. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 29,912 | +694 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 29,889 | +797 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 29,728 | +793 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 29,637 | +673 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 29,218 | +476 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 29,092 | +407 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 28,935 | +258 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 28,964 | +138 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 28,742 | +174 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 28,685 | +193 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 28,677 | +246 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 28,826 | +419 | +0.0% |
See Southern's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataSouthern Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Southern's global workforce with approximately 94% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Southern employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 27,808 | 94.3% |
| South Asia | 370 | 1.3% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 244 | 0.8% |
| Central and Western Asia | 189 | 0.6% |
| South America | 169 | 0.6% |
| Southeast Asia | 116 | 0.4% |
| Northern Europe | 116 | 0.4% |
| North Africa | 85 | 0.3% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 76 | 0.3% |
| Western Europe | 66 | 0.2% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataSouthern Employee Count by Department (2026)
Southern's employee groups are Finance and Operations (44.8%), Engineering (30.9%), and Sales and Marketing (24.3%).
Southern employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 13,107 | 44.8% |
| Engineering | 9,031 | 30.9% |
| Sales and Marketing | 7,125 | 24.3% |
Compare Southern's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataSouthern Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Southern's average employee salary is $91,042 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $9,000.
Southern median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $86,000 |
| Western Europe | $62,000 |
| Northern Europe | $58,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $57,000 |
| Arab States | $35,000 |
| East Asia | $34,000 |
| Southern Europe | $33,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $32,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $27,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $22,000 |
| South America | $18,000 |
| North Africa | $14,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $13,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $11,000 |
| South Asia | $9,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Southern's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataSouthern Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Southern had 568 active job postings in 2026, a 21.0% decline (+163) from 2025.
- Southern had 405 active job postings in 2025, a 33.5% decline (-163) from 2024.
- Southern had 568 active job postings in 2024, a 34.8% decline (-239) from 2023.
- Southern had 807 active job postings in 2023, a 35.8% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 392 new roles/month, down from 456 in 2025 and 508 in 2024.
Southern's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 21.0% in 2026 to 568, with new postings per month cooling from 481 in 2023 to 392 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataSouthern Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Southern's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has improved year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
Frequently Asked Questions About Southern
- How fast is Southern growing?
- In 2026, Southern's headcount grew 0.1% to 29,912 employees, up from 29,218 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Southern employees located?
- Most Southern employees are based in North America (94.3% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Southern?
- The average employee salary at Southern is approximately $91k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Southern open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Southern opened 1,176 new job postings. In 2025, Southern opened 5,467 new job postings — about 456 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Southern founded and where is it headquartered?
- Southern was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Compare Southern to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Southern.
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