Ireland's top executives and managers continue to enjoy pay increases well above the rate of inflation. But junior managers are faring better than their senior counterparts, according to a new survey of salaries and fringe benefits. The survey, by international business consultants Inbucon Ireland, found that executive and managerial salaries increased by an average of 6.17 per cent in the year to July after rising by 5.95 per cent the previous year.

Junior managers fared best with average salary increases of 6.96 per cent between July 1996 and July 1997 followed by divisional managers who recorded an average rise in pay of 6.9 per cent.

The survey, which analysed the pay and benefits of 2,214 executives in top, middle and junior management positions in 160 companies, found senior managers lagged behind with pay rises of 5.53 per cent.

But their pay increases were still well ahead of inflation which ran at around 1.4 per cent over the period.

The survey, covering the entire spectrum of Irish industry and commerce including multinational firms, found that salary, bonus and total remuneration packages were principally influenced by company size.

A managing director in a company with turnover of less than £3 million a year earned an average basic salary of £48,338 compared with £108,655 for a counterpart in a firm with sales in excess of £100 million.

Managing directors topped the earnings league, enjoying total remuneration packages of £86,562 on average followed by general managers on £72,541.

Next in line were company secretaries, earning an average £61,691, followed by operations and sales managers who earned £56,889 and £56,480 respectively.

The head of finance in the firms surveyed earned an average £54,657, the head of personnel made £52,151, the marketing manager commanded £47,869 and the manager of the technical division received £48,991.

But the survey found several examples of companies paying "spot rates" where executives or technical specialists down the ranks were paid more than their senior colleagues.

In the electronics and computer sector, for example, the average basic salary for a managing director was £49,186, below the £78,271 paid for a general manager, £56,320 for a head of sales and £55,066 for the head of information technology.

"This usually occurs where the company is trying to attract or retain certain job-holders with key skills and competencies and is indicative of the current fluid job market," Inbucon said.

An industry breakdown shows managing directors in the food, drink and tobacco sector enjoy the best average basic salary, earning £101,756 a year, compared to £78,275 in the chemical sector and £49,186 in the electronics and computer industries.

But those in charge of manufacturing are best rewarded in the chemical and allied industries where they earn £45,848 on average each year compared to £44,334 for their counterparts in the electronics and computer industries and £31,500 in the food, drink and tobacco industry.

The Inbucon survey, which is carried out annually, found that the percentage of managers receiving a bonus rose to 59.6 per cent in the 12 months to July compared with 57.3 per cent a year earlier, but the average value of the bonus fell to £5,652 from £6,815.

The highest bonuses were awarded to managing directors who received an average of £17,521 followed by full-time directors who got an average bonus payment of £14,100.

The incidence of profit sharing schemes rose to 18.3 per cent from 9.6 per cent while the number of share option schemes also increased to 12 per cent from 8.9 per cent, the survey found.