CEO Salary & Executive Compensation
Vertex Pharmaceuticals VRTX
CEO: Reshma Kewalramani · Biotechnology · 10,400 employees
Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025. Vertex Pharmaceuticals receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of A (100/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 96:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 95.8%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +88.7%.
How Vertex Pharmaceuticals CEO Pay Compares
Reshma Kewalramani's $12.0M total compensation is 0% below the Biotechnology industry median of $12.0M. The 96:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 4% higher than the industry average of 92:1. Shareholders broadly support this compensation, with 95.8% approval.
Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), received $12.0M in total reported compensation. The package mix typical at this scale: a small base salary, a larger stock-award component, and performance-tied incentives that vest over multiple years based on relative TSR or earnings benchmarks.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio runs 96x. Lower ratios typically reflect companies with higher-paid workforces (financial services, technology, professional services) where the median worker pay denominator is itself substantial. Performance over the same three-year window has been strong: Vertex Pharmaceuticals delivered a 3-year total shareholder return of 88.7% on top of 55.3% revenue growth. Pay packages of this size are easier to defend when the underlying performance is delivering.
Shareholders ratified the compensation package overwhelmingly: 96% of votes cast supported the company's pay practices at the most recent annual meeting. Say-on-pay support above 95% is typical for well-aligned compensation programs without obvious controversy. Vertex Pharmaceuticals operates in Biotechnology with 10,400 employees and $10.3B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $120.0B. Pay comparisons across companies require controlling for these structural factors — a $20M package at a $10B-revenue tech company reads differently than the same package at a $1B-revenue industrial.
Source: SEC EDGAR — DEF 14A proxy statements for Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX).
Compensation Breakdown
Reshma Kewalramani's $12.0M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $1.2M in base salary, $6.0M in stock awards, $1.4M in option awards, and $1.8M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
| 2024 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
| 2023 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
| 2022 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
All compensation data is sourced from SEC DEF 14A proxy filings submitted to EDGAR. The Economic Policy Institute's CEO pay analysis provides additional context on executive compensation trends across industries.
Named Executive Officers
Peer CEO Compensation
Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), earns $12.0M in total compensation. This includes base salary, stock awards, option awards, and other incentives as reported in the company's most recent DEF 14A proxy statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), earns $12.0M in total compensation. This includes base salary, stock awards, option awards, and other incentives as reported in the company's most recent DEF 14A proxy statement.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a Pay-for-Performance Score of A (100/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +88.7%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 95.8% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Vertex Pharmaceuticals is 96:1. The median worker at Vertex Pharmaceuticals earns $125K per year, while CEO Reshma Kewalramani earns $12.0M in total compensation.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals employs approximately 10,400 people. The company operates in the Biotechnology industry within the Healthcare sector, generating $10.3B in annual revenue.