Lawyers see 7% jump in company secretaries' pay

Company secretaries' salaries have risen by an average 7% in the past 12 months, with lawyers the biggest winners in the pay stakes, research revealed last week.

Company secretaries in the UK's top 100 companies now earn an average basic salary of 174,000, according to the survey by recruitment consultant CSS.

This typically rises to more than 300,000 for those who also hold a legal role.

Overall packages have seen a 2% decrease on last year, however, because of a drop in bonuses linked to company performance.

The average company secretary earned 246,000 overall in the FTSE 100 and 133,000 in the FTSE 250.

Most company secretaries feel insulated from general economic pressures, with as many as 68% rating their job security as good or extremely good.

Some 27% of company secretaries are lawyers.

Jon Moores, recruitment consultant at CSS in London, said: 'Companies in the FTSE 100 generally want lawyers to fulfil the company secretary role, and anyone with [experience of] the US is particularly in demand in the light of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.

'The salary increases reflect the company secretary's role at the forefront of advising the board on corporate governance legislation.'

Rachel Rothwell