incentive pay

American  

noun

1. additional pay, a higher wage, or a bonus paid to promote the productivity of an employee.

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Etymology

Origin of incentive pay

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

These are lucrative skills at the electricity-gobbling sites, and Benner makes $225,000 a year, boosted in part by $100 in daily incentive pay for all workers on site.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

Year-end bonuses are projected to be robust for the second-straight year, with double-digit increases in incentive pay in some businesses, according to financial services compensation consultancy Johnson Associates.

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

The High Pay Centre said the rise was in part due to the economic recovery following lockdowns and through bosses having "strong incentive pay awards tied to profitability and share prices".

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2023

However, it cut the incentive pay for other top executives.

From Reuters • Apr. 6, 2023

The state’s health care unions have long been pushing hospitals to do more for pandemic-worn employees, like offering retention bonuses and incentive pay or ending mandatory overtime policies.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2021