Companies were assessed on turnover, profit, net assets, audit fees, employees, average pay, director’s renumeration and financial ratios.

The company who pays its employees the highest average salary was a Bracknell based firm. Stanley Electric Holding Europe Co Ltd, which sells lighting products, pays an average salary of £274,142.

Tim Walker, managing director of Taylor Made Computer Solutions, which carried out the survey, said: “We are very proud to present this list, which is the result of months of painstaking research and provides a definitive and very clear picture of the performance of businesses in the south.

“The overall picture is positive. It shows a slow but steady rise in turnover and profit as the economy continues to pick up.” The Bracknell company making the most money is the national supermarket chain and food retailer Waitrose Ltd, which has an annual turnover of nearly £6billion.

In Wokingham the highest turn over was just over £865m made by consulting engineers Jacobs UK Holdings Ltd.

The business making the most money in the south east is BP International Ltd, which is based in Surrey. They recorded a turnover in excess of £63.5bn last year. In total the companies increased their profitability by three per cent compared to last year and pre-tax profits were up by nearly a third.

Crest Nicholson Plc, one of the housing developers involved in Wokingham’s substantial home construction scheme, has the highest paid director out of all the companies.

Stephen Stone, the chief executive, was paid £14.1m last year.