THE salaries of St Helens Council’s top earners have been revealed.

Following approval from full council, the figures are due to be published as part of its Pay Policy Statement 2018-19.

The purpose of the Pay Policy Statement is to ensure transparency and accountability with regard to the council’s approach to setting pay.

By law, statements must explain what an authority’s policies are on a range of issues relating to the pay of its workforce.

The statements must be prepared for each financial year and published on relevant authorities’ websites.

St Helens Council uses the nationally negotiated pay spine (s) as the basis for its local pay structure, which determines the salaries of the vast majority of its workforce, excluding teachers.

Currently there are only four people who earn more than £100,000 a year, while the lowest paid persons at the council is paid £15,375.

Mike Palin, the council’s chief executive, is the highest paid employee with a salary of £142, 812 followed by Mike Wyatt, strategic director of people’s services, with an salary of £135,000.

The deputy chief executive earns between £115,764 and £119,391 and the strategic director of place services earns between £107,205 and £114,513.

Senior assistant directors earn between £74,463 and £76,311 with assistant directors earning between £65,241 to £72,624.

Advisors and inspectors earn between £51,073 and £65,102.

Senior and principle education psychologists are paid between £48,21 and £58,081 while senior officers earn between £51,180 and £54,114.

The Pay Policy Statement also reveals that the threshold for severance packages for chief officers and other senior managers is set at £100,000.

St Helens Council employs apprentices, although they are not considered the lowest paid employees because they are employed under a training contract on the nationally set apprenticeship allowance.

During the cabinet meeting on February 21, councillors agreed to send the Pay Policy Statement to full council for approval.

Cllr Derek Long, cabinet member for Liverpool City Region engagement, said: “I think public sector workers are often very poorly treated by the media, all through the pay scales, and there are certain aspects that can be quite easy to lob bricks at people who are doing very, very difficult and very unpleasant jobs a lot of the time.

“I’d like to, I’m sure cabinet will put on record, give our continued thanks to our staff for all the hard work they do in difficult circumstances.

“We at least appreciate what they do, do.”