Thurrock Council’s top bosses are to get a pay rise with many benefiting from salaries of more than £100,000.

The council’s management team will be handed a two per cent pay rise from April 1 with the most senior members receiving around £3,000 extra each year.

The top earner is chief executive Lyn Carpenter who will receive close to £200,000, making her one of the highest paid council bosses in the whole county.

Details of the salaries have been revealed in a new pay policy document published ahead of a full council meeting next week. The papers show that Ms Carpenter is set to earn around £182,000 in the next financial year but the highest rate for her salary can hit £194,500.

Meanwhile, senior directors’ salaries will range from between £93,500 to £150,500.

Under the current management structure, this will mean 15 staff members will on average be earning more than £100,000 and costing taxpayers almost £2million.

The chief executive is also earning almost eight times more than the average council officer who is paid a salary of around £23,788.

Council documents explain that the 2 per cent pay rise is “reflective of the year on year increase in senior salaries” and “only the fourth increase recommended since 2009”. It is also expected to cost the council an extra £60,000 a year.

The documents continue: “The chief executive’s and other senior officers’ remuneration was determined in 2009.

“It was based on the median pay point of a market salary and reflected remuneration levels for comparable jobs in unitary authorities and London boroughs.”

Among the considerations for the salaries has been the size of the council and its location, which it notes is “competing in the same labour market as many London boroughs as well as Essex County Council and other unitary authorities”.

Thurrock nearest unitary council is Southend where the chief executive’s salary is significantly lower than Ms Carpenter’s at £156,000.

The chief executive of Essex County Council has a salary of £195,000.

Thurrock Council was contacted for comment.