A TYPICAL chartered accountant earns just under £49,000 a year and got a pay increase of 4.5 per cent last year, according to a new survey by the Leinster Society of Chartered Accountants.

The salary survey of 542 chartered accountants found the highest paid respondent was the managing director of a financial services firm who earned £220,000 in the year, in addition to having a company car and other benefits. The lowest paid was a recently qualified accountant working in a practice who earned £16,000 a year.

Based on salaries at January 31st, 1997, the survey found that accountants working in the financial services sector are paid more and have better holidays and fringe benefits than accountants working in industry and commerce.

Pay is higher in both financial services and industry and commerce than in practice, though the survey excluded partners in practice and sole practitioners. If these accountants were included, the average "salaries" for those working in practices would be higher than the other categories.

An accountant employed as head of finance in industry or commerce earned an annual average salary of £52,200, compared with £69,500 for a corresponding position in the financial services sector. Tax managers and directors employed in the top six accountancy firms earned an average of £46,500.

Salary levels were determined by a number of factors including the size of the company, the position held and the year of qualification.

The survey found a consistent pattern: more experienced accountants are in more senior positions and consequently earn higher salaries. Fringe benefits for accountants included company cars, club or institute subscriptions, subsidised loans, health insurance and share options.

The percentage of accountants driving company cars fell from 57 per cent in 1991 to 41 per cent. This drop was attributed to the increase in taxation on company cars.

Some 52 per cent of the accountants received VHI subscriptions, up from 41 per cent in 1996. The percentage of respondents receiving other fringe benefits was broadly unchanged 82 per cent received institute subscriptions, 74 per cent were in pension plans, 23 per cent received club subscriptions, 16 per cent had subsidised loans and 17 per cent got share options.

Some 25 per cent of respondents were women, reflecting the significant increase in the number of women entering the profession. Up to 1984, only 4 per cent of those qualifying each year were women. By 1995 this percentage had risen to 40 per cent.

Because there are fewer women qualified for more than 10 years, there are less women in senior positions than men. There were no women among the 26 managing partners in practice and they accounted for only 16 per cent of the head of finance positions in industry.

The survey was carried out for the LSCA by Mr Brendan Burgess of The Accountants Panel. Some 3,387 members of the LSCA received questionnaires and 542, or 21 per cent, replied.

Commenting on the survey, LSCA chairman Ms Penelope Kenny said it showed that chartered accountants have seen steadily increasing salaries since 1991. Demand for accountants in all areas of Irish business continued to be very healthy, she said.

Unemployment among accountants has been virtually wiped out, according to the survey. Only one accountant was unemployed compared with two last year, five in 1995 and seven in 1994.