Speaking of professionals . . .Senior managers...

Speaking of professionals . . .

Senior managers in Orange County won’t see their salaries going up quite as much as they did last year, according to a survey of corporate merit raise budgets.

The study, by TPF&C;, a unit of the Towers Perrin management consulting group, found that local companies are budgeting an average merit increase of 5.4% for senior people, down from 5.8% last year.

But that is still higher than the national average of 5.2%, the study shows.

For those a little lower on the scale of career evolution--managers in the middle of the pile rather than on top--the average local merit increase was estimated at 5.4% for 1988, down from 5.6% last year but equal with the raises those on the top floor are getting. Nationally, the average for middle-management is only 4.9%, according to the survey.

Hourly wage workers are looking at 5.2% merit hikes locally, down from 5.5% last year but better than the national average of 4.8%.