Directors of investor relations in FTSE100 companies are commanding salaries of up to £240,000, with an average salary of £110,000 throughout the index rising to nearly £180,000 for the FTSE50.

New research by VMA Group into the careers and salaries of senior investor relations professionals suggests that investor relations teams’ budgets are beginning to recover from the economic downturn, and that the robust average salary reflects that.

Investor relations officers are also increasingly responsible for communications in their organisations, according to the report, with 40% of respondents overseeing corporate communications. This suggests that investor relations is enjoying new recognition internally as part of the overall communications function.

Oskar Yasar, managing director of VMA International, praises the development of the IRO profile: “In the midst of a new economic and political environment we have witnessed the emergence of a more credible, more valued investor relations professional, and a more sophisticated investor relations function.”

The issue of whether investor relations professionals need financial qualifications is an ongoing question, but the survey shows that greater experience in the financial markets and the finance qualifications that often brings is more likely to result in roles in the FTSE100 and thus higher salaries at manager level.

The survey also quizzed respondents on their opinions of the stability of the UK economy. 82% believe it will stay the same for the next six months, with only 10% of that number predicting a double-dip recession for 2011/12.