Underpaid engineer cashes in on a $5k work bonus and calls it quits on job when they land a better $54/hr role: ‘I had gone above and beyond my duties’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Feb 12, 2025 1:00 PM EST

In the workforce, we can all hope, in good faith, that we'll be well-compensated for the work we do at our companies, establishments, and the like. Though we can fill our half-empty cup completely full with hopes and dreams of a six-figure salary, that's not in the cards for most of us. There are many factors at play here, but the main issue is, drumroll please… Companies budgeting for their higher-ups and not for employees lower on the corporate hierarchy! Of course, with more power comes more responsibility (supposedly,) which in turn comes with a higher payout. But what about the employees who are overlooked, simply because they allow themselves to be?

Vouching for oneself is difficult in a job market that primes us to accept less than what we deserve. The employee who posted this story was no stranger to this but ended up on top when their boss finally gave them a hefty work bonus after two years of being underpaid in their role. This employee expected to get a better raise within this two-year span, but was not given what they were promised. So, naturally, they take the bonus and land a role that is nearly double their previous hourly pay. Scroll to read the entire story below, with some comments from folks rooting for their career upgrade!

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  • 400.0 12.000 11.60. 101000 "The kudos and the bonus were nice, but I had been saying I expect a certain pay for 2 years."
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "AITA for accepting a bonus and then quitting?"

    I worked for a company as an engineer. I originally told the owner that I expect $35 an hour, which was the average for my position at the time. I
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • agreeded to $24/hr to then work my way up as I prove myself (yes that was naive). After 2 years, they have bumped my pay to $26/hr. I brought up my
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • expected pay from way back when, but I was told to keep working for it. Another company sent me a job offer for about $54/hr and better
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • benefits. I had planned to accept the offer, and had a final interview set up where I was to give my answer. The day I was supposed to give my
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • answer, the owner brought me in to a meeting which had alot of higher ups. He, and the other managers, congratulated me on my hard work, said I finally qualified for the bonus program, and then gave me a $5K bonus check.
    via NoFace-NoProblem

  • One might think it's illogical to accept a job with an offered pay that is much less than what you're asking for, but again—this job market is no joke. You hope that employers will be good on their word and keep the fiscal promises they made upon the contract signing, but that's all that is. Hope. Placing our livelihoods in the hands of higher-ups who couldn't care less if we lived or croaked is illogical in itself, most of the time. In 2025, we're placing bets on ourselves and making our dreams come true. Bonus points if you cash in on a bonus check before switching roles…

  • $ 22 DOLLARS
    via Money Knack for Unsplash
  • The kudos and the bonus were nice, but I had been saying I expect a certain pay for 2 years. I had gone above and beyond my duties. The average for my
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • position had gone up in that time, and I was very open with my boss about that. I took the bonus, accepted my new job offer, and told my
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • manager the next day. I was told that I shouldn't have accepted that bonus and that it was immoral. From my POV, the bonus is a "thank you" for all my hard work, not a bribe to keep me on.
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • Should I have not accepted the bonus? AITA?
    via NoFace-NoProblem
  • TheZZ9 NTA That bonus was for underpaying you all this time, not an advance on future work. And by classing it as a bonus rather than a pay rise they could easily not pay it next year and you'd have worked a whole year for the lower rate again. Take the money and enjoy your new job.
    via TheZZ9
  • EvilSockLady NTA. You earned that bonus. They said it themselves: you worked hard and you qualified for the bonus. You were transparent about expectations. I believe the $5k is the definition of "too little, too late."
    via EvilSockLady
  • allenlikethewrench Take that bonus and dip the f out. They would not on you if you were on fire. They would simply start looking for a replacement. You owe them nothing
    via allenlikethewrench
  • VeronicaSawyer8 A bonus is for work you already did. It's not for work you'll do in the future.
    via VeronicaSawyer8
  • Interesting Fish_... Sounds like they heard on the grapevine you had an opportunity elsewhere and this "qualifying for the bonus scheme" was a sweetener to sucker you into staying.
    via Interesting_Fish_840
  • You have got the chance to almost double your hourly rate, can't pass that up in these economic times. Definitely NTA.
    via Interesting_Fish_840
  • Luna May196 NTA While the company will certainly think you're an AH, they did you wrong by not bringing up your pay appropriately. You still deserved the bonus for your hard work in the past.
    via LunaMay196
  • pottersquash NTA. Immoral??? You got people depending on you! Mr. Rent, Madam Light Bill, Lord and Lady Cell and Internet. Had you turned that money down, you'd be letting them down.
    via pottersquash

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