Heads of service companies are the nation’s...

Heads of service companies are the nation’s highest paid executives, says the Conference Board, a business-financed research group. A Board survey found that the median compensation--salary plus bonuses--for chief executives in 24 service companies, including computer, health care and real estate firms, was $649,000 from 1986 to 1987. CEOs at 254 manufacturing firms ranked second in compensation, with median pay of $642,000, and executives in 31 energy and natural resource firms were third at $525,000. At the bottom of the list were 111 utility executives, whose low median salary of $355,000, reflected heavy regulation of the industry, the Conference Board said.