The increases were condemned as outrageous by the TaxPayers' Alliance, but a council spokesman said the pay bands included headteachers and other very senior school staff, whose salaries were negotiated nationally – and there were 304 schools in the county.

The figures also included existing staff, who had been earning just below £50,000 the previous year, but again due to nationally-negotiated pay increases were now included in the bands.

The figures did not mean the council had hired more middle managers.

A detailed report which went before Monday's meeting of the regulation, audit and accounts committee showed the highest earner in the non-schools band in 2008-09 was in the range £220,000 to £229,000.

Names are not given in the report, but this is understood to be county council chief executive Mark Hammond.

For 2007-2008, the highest range was given as £190,000 to £199,999.

The report said the authority was required by regulations to disclose the number of employees, including headteachers, whose emoluments were more than £50,000 a year.

The figures included salary and taxable benefits such as cars, but excluded direct reimbursement of 'costs incurred'.

Two non school-based staff were in the range £170,000 to £179,000 in 2008-09, but none had hit this level in the previous year.

One was in the range £160,000 to £169,999, one £150,000 to £159,999, one £120,000 to £129,999, and one £110,000 to £119,999.

Three non-school staff were on £100,000 to £109,999, seven on £90,000 to £99,999, five on £80,000 to £89,999, 14 on £70,000 to £79,999, 30 on £60,000 to £69,999 and 184 on £50,000 to £59,999.

In 2007-08, there were 154 on the lowest band.

The highest earner among the school-based staff was in the range £110,000 to £119,999 – but none was shown at this level the previous year.

Among other school staff, figures for 2008-09 showed there were three on £100,000 to £109,999, four on £90,000 to £99,999, 17 on £80,000 to £89,999, 16 on £70,000 to £79,999, 59 on £60,000 to £69,999 and 228 on £50,000 to £59,999. The previous year, there were 188 school staff on the lowest band.

According to the county council, it has reduced many layers of middle management as part of a drive for efficiency savings, which have released £40m year on year.

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