The top recommended salary for Reform rabbis has risen above £100,000 a year for the first time.

Guidelines published by the Reform movement this week propose an increase to £100,548 from £96,960 in 2008. A pay freeze was recommended last year because of the economic climate.

Full-time rabbis on the lowest point of the scale should see a rise from £36,023 to £37,356.

The movement divides rabbis into six groups depending on factors such as size of congregation and uses a 51-point scale system taking into account responsibilities and length of service.

But the guidelines are not binding, explained Dorf Mogendorff, chair of the rabbinic remuneration working party.

"They are recommendations, because all our congregations are independent. So we don't know if any rabbis are on the top scale."