incentive pay

American  

noun

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

---

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

To fight burnout, health care workers here are also lobbying for retention bonuses and incentive pay for employees who take extra shifts.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2021

Parker will note the airline has “developed incentive pay programs for peak travel periods to fortify our efforts to operate every flight on our schedule.”

From Reuters • Dec. 13, 2021