Directors received significant pay increases in ’84.

Many companies now believe their directors are being paid at “respectable levels,” the Conference Board said. The business-sponsored research organization said total compensation for outside directors rose by 11% in manufacturing companies to $18,900, 6% in financial firms to $14,200 and 15% in non-financial service companies to $16,125. The Conference Board added that giant manufacturing companies with revenue of more than $5 billion a year pay their directors substantially more than the median and averaged about $32,000 a year.