Utilities

Essential Utilities Executive Compensation (FY25)

Name: Essential Utilities (WTRG) executive compensation
Creator: Velarion
License: https://intel.velarion.ai/terms

WTRG · Executive and director compensation, fiscal 2022 to 2025

Chief executive, fiscal 2025

◇

Christopher Franklin

Latest say-on-pay support

April 29, 2026

Chief executive pay ratio

◇

To the median employee

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Data as of November 5, 2026Latest filing (8-K): April 30, 2026

14 filings cited on this page

Method: intel.velarion.ai/methodology

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313 figures on this page: 302 cited to the filing that reported them, 11 calculated from figures it prints. See the citations

What changed from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025

The figures that moved, and by how much. Analysis of these figures is part of the Velarion platform.

Chief executive total compensation — Christopher Franklin: $6,222,992 → $9,212,815 (48.0% higher)

Say-on-pay support: 73.3% → 90.2% (16.9 points higher)

CEO pay ratio: 64:1 → 80:1 (25.0% higher)

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn from the data on this page.

Who is Essential Utilities' chief executive and what were they paid?

Christopher Franklin was paid $9,212,815 in total compensation as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for fiscal 2025. Franklin's total moved 48.0% higher from the $6,222,992 reported for fiscal 2024.

What was Essential Utilities' say-on-pay result?

Shareholders supported the say-on-pay proposal with 90.2% of votes cast for or against in favor at the meeting held April 29, 2026 for fiscal 2025.

Which companies are in Essential Utilities' peer group?

Companies named in the disclosed peer group include Essential and Executive.

What is Essential Utilities' chief executive pay ratio?

The disclosed chief executive pay ratio for fiscal 2025 is 80:1, against median employee compensation of $115,770.

Executive compensation

Every element reported for each named executive officer, by fiscal year.

Fiscal 2022

Officer	Salary	Bonus	Stock awards	Option awards	Non-equity incentive	Pension and deferred earnings	All other compensation	Total
Christopher Franklin President and Chief Executive Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Richard Fox EVP and Chief Operating Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇
Daniel Schuller EVP and Chief Financial Officer Principal Financial Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Matthew Rhodes EVP, Strategy & Corporate Development	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Christopher Luning EVP and General Counsel	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Colleen Arnold President, Aqua	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇

Fiscal 2023

Officer	Salary	Bonus	Stock awards	Option awards	Non-equity incentive	Pension and deferred earnings	All other compensation	Total
Christopher Franklin Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇
Christopher Luning EVP and General Counsel	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇
Daniel Schuller Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Colleen Arnold President, Aqua	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇

Fiscal 2024

Officer	Salary	Bonus	Stock awards	Option awards	Non-equity incentive	Pension and deferred earnings	All other compensation	Total
Christopher Franklin President and Chief Executive Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇
Daniel Schuller EVP and Chief Financial Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Christopher Luning EVP, and General Counsel	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇
Matthew Rhodes EVP, Strategy & Corporate Development	◇	—	◇	◇	—	—	◇	◇
Colleen Arnold President, Aqua	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Michael Huwar President, Peoples	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇

Fiscal 2025

Officer	Salary	Bonus	Stock awards	Option awards	Non-equity incentive	Pension and deferred earnings	All other compensation	Total
Christopher Franklin Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇
Christopher Luning Executive Vice President and General Counsel	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇	◇
Daniel Schuller Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Colleen Arnold President, Aqua	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇
Michael Huwar President, Peoples Gas	◇	—	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	◇

A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. A negative change in pension value is shown but, as the company reports it, not included in the total.

Equity awards granted

Individual awards as disclosed: type, date, unit counts at each level, and grant date value.

Fiscal 2025

Officer	Award	Grant date	Threshold units	Target units	Units granted	Maximum units	Exercise price	Grant date fair value
Christopher Franklin	PSU	◇	—	◇	—	—	—	◇
Christopher Franklin	PSU	◇	—	◇	—	—	—	◇
Christopher Franklin	PSU	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	—	◇
Christopher Luning	PSU	◇	—	◇	—	—	—	◇
Christopher Luning	RSU	◇	—	—	◇	—	—	◇
Christopher Luning	PSU	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	—	◇
Colleen Arnold	PSU	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	—	◇
Colleen Arnold	RSU	◇	—	—	◇	—	—	◇
Colleen Arnold	PSU	◇	—	◇	—	—	—	◇
Daniel Schuller	RSU	◇	—	—	◇	—	—	◇
Daniel Schuller	PSU	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	—	◇
Daniel Schuller	PSU	◇	—	◇	—	—	—	◇
Michael Huwar	RSU	◇	—	—	◇	—	—	◇
Michael Huwar	PSU	◇	—	◇	—	—	—	◇
Michael Huwar	PSU	◇	◇	◇	—	◇	—	◇

Fiscal 2022, 2024 are included in the PDF.

A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. Threshold, target and maximum apply only to performance awards and are never shown for time-based or option awards.

Outstanding awards

Awards still held at fiscal year end.

As disclosed at fiscal 2025 year end

Officer	Award	Unvested units	Market value of unvested units	Exercise price	Expires
Christopher Franklin	PSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/5/2035
	RSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	1/24/2034
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/22/2033
Daniel Schuller	PSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/5/2035
	RSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	1/24/2034
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/22/2033
Christopher Luning	PSU	◇	◇	—	—
	RSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/5/2035
	Option	◇	—	◇	1/24/2034
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/22/2033
Colleen Arnold	PSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/5/2035
	RSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	1/24/2034
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/22/2033
Michael Huwar	PSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/5/2035
	RSU	◇	◇	—	—
	Option	◇	—	◇	1/24/2034
	Option	◇	—	◇	2/22/2033

A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Severance and change in control

The terms as written in the agreements.

Christopher Franklin

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer · Employment agreement

Severance multiple

◇

Colleen Arnold

President, Aqua · Terms as described in the company’s compensation discussion

Severance cash amount

◇

Michael Huwar

President, Peoples Gas · Terms as described in the company’s compensation discussion

Severance cash amount	◇
Equity acceleration on change in control	◇

Director compensation

What each non-employee director was paid.

Fiscal 2025

Director	Fees earned in cash	Stock awards	Option awards	Non-equity incentive	Pension and deferred earnings	All other compensation	Total
Daniel J. Hilferty Lead independent director	◇	◇	—	—	—	—	◇
Christopher L. Bruner	◇	◇	—	—	—	—	◇
David A. Ciesinski	◇	◇	—	—	—	—	◇
Elizabeth B. Amato	◇	◇	—	—	—	—	◇
Tamara L. Linde	◇	◇	—	—	—	—	◇
W. Bryan Lewis	◇	◇	—	—	—	—	◇

Christopher H. Franklin and West served on the board in fiscal 2025 and received no compensation for board service. Executive directors are typically paid through their executive roles, shown above.

Earlier years are included in the PDF.

A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Director fee schedule

The standing retainers and premiums the board pays, as published.

Board cash retainer	◇
Board equity retainer	◇
Total board retainer	◇
Lead independent director premium	◇
Audit committee chair	◇
Compensation committee chair	◇
Nominating and governance chair	◇

Equity is delivered as Stock.

Disclosed peer group

The companies this board named as its compensation comparison group. The list is disclosure; the comparison is analysis.

Fiscal 2024

Essential EPRT
Executive symbol not shown

Say-on-pay history

Shareholder support for the compensation program, by year.

Year	Meeting	Support	Votes for	Votes against	Abstentions
2025	April 29, 2026	=	◇	◇	◇
2024	May 7, 2025	=	◇	◇	◇
2023	May 1, 2024	=	◇	◇	◇
2022	May 3, 2023	=	◇	◇	◇
2021	May 4, 2022	=	◇	◇	◇
2020	May 5, 2021	=	◇	◇	◇
2019	May 6, 2020	=	◇	◇	◇
2018	May 2, 2019	=	◇	◇	◇
2017	May 8, 2018	=	◇	◇	◇
2016	May 3, 2017	=	◇	◇	◇
2015	May 6, 2016	=	◇	◇	◇

Chief executive pay ratio

As calculated and reported by the company.

Ratio

◇

Median employee compensation

◇

Chief executive total compensation

◇

Ask our research desk — $99, 24h, every figure cited to its filing.

Sample answer — “What is the CEO’s total compensation?”

- Christopher Franklin (Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer), FY2025 total compensation $9,212,815 (base salary $1,103,931) [exec_comp, SEC accession 0001552781-26-000133, filed 2026-03-17]

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What this page does not include

Everything above is a fact Essential Utilities disclosed, and it is free. Everything below is our analysis of those facts, and it is not.

Peer benchmarking

Where Essential Utilities sits against its disclosed peers — percentile position by role and by pay element, and the ranking behind it. The disclosed peer group is free; comparisons across it are part of the Velarion platform.

Executive Compensation Report — $500

Written compensation analysis

A read of the pay program as designed and as paid: incentive structure, goal rigor, the alignment between the committee's stated philosophy and what the numbers show.

Executive Compensation Report — $500

Board and governance analysis

Committee composition, independence, director pay positioning, and the governance provisions read together rather than listed.

Board Governance Report — $500

Realizable pay

What the awards above are actually worth today against what they were valued at on grant, and what the gap says about the pay-for-performance link.

Velarion Intelligence

Adviser switching and vote outcomes

Two datasets covering compensation-adviser changes and what followed a contested vote. Both are part of the Velarion platform.

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Multiple companies at once

Cross-company views, cohort screens, and data export across the industries we cover. This page is one company; the platform is all of them.

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Citations

Every figure on this page is cited to the document that reported it. Select any figure to see its citation.

313 figures on this page: 302 cited to the filing that reported them, 11 calculated from figures it prints.

302 cited to the filing

11 calculated from the filing

Documents cited

8-K, filed April 30, 2026
0001552781-26-000288
DEF 14A, filed March 17, 2026
0001552781-26-000133
Compensation Discussion and Analysis · Director Compensation Program · Grants of Plan-Based Awards · Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End · and 2 more sections
8-K, filed May 12, 2025
0001552781-25-000177
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
DEF 14A, filed March 25, 2025
0001552781-25-000105
Summary Compensation Table
8-K, filed May 2, 2024
0001552781-24-000269
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
8-K, filed May 3, 2023
0001552781-23-000253
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
DEF 14A, filed March 20, 2023
0001552781-23-000127
Summary Compensation Table
8-K, filed May 12, 2022
0001552781-22-000398
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
8-K, filed May 10, 2021
0001552781-21-000391
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
8-K, filed May 11, 2020
0001552781-20-000346
8-K, filed May 3, 2019
0001552781-19-000224
8-K, filed May 11, 2018
0001552781-18-000215
8-K, filed May 5, 2017
0001193125-17-160796
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
8-K, filed May 10, 2016
0001193125-16-585573
Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

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Velarion, “Essential Utilities executive compensation, FY2022–FY2025.” https://intel.velarion.ai/comp/WTRG (accessed 2026).

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Positioning against its disclosed peers, the governance read, incentive design, and the CD&A alignment analysis; the full peer table; a committee-ready PDF.

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14 filings cited on this page

Method: intel.velarion.ai/methodology

A report that fails to generate is refunded in full

Published by Velarion Company Intelligence

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Utilities rankings

Chief executive pay — Utilities CEO pay ratio — Utilities Say-on-pay support — Utilities

Peers Essential Utilities discloses

The companies named in WTRG's own disclosed peer group.

Essential

Terms on this page

Say-on-Pay Vote CEO Pay Ratio Median Employee Compensation All companies

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Cite this data

APA

Velarion Company Intelligence. (2026). Velarion database: executive and board compensation data (Version 2026Q3) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854

BibTeX

@misc{velarionData2026,
  author = {{Velarion Company Intelligence}},
  title = {Velarion database: executive and board compensation data},
  year = {2026},
  version = {2026Q3},
  doi = {10.5281/zenodo.22283854},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854}
}