Is 5% a good annual bonus?

Is 5% a good annual bonus? Honestly, it depends, doesn't it? Five percent feels… okay, I guess? Like, it's something, right? But is it good? That's the million-dollar question.

I remember one year, back when I was working at that awful marketing firm, I got a whopping 3%. Three percent! I nearly choked on my lukewarm coffee. Felt like a slap in the face after pulling all-nighters for that new campaign. Seriously, I was practically living at the office. So, 5%? It's better than 3%, that's for sure. A small victory, maybe?

But then I talked to my friend Sarah, who's a software engineer. She consistently gets between 8-10%, and her company is actually doing really well. Suddenly, my 5% feels a little… underwhelming, you know? It's all relative, I suppose. Like, I read somewhere – I think it was on some business blog, I can't remember – that the average bonus range is actually 5-10%, which makes my 5% seem kinda average. Meh.

So, is it good? I'm not entirely sure. It's better than nothing, and better than that measly 3% I got before, but it's not exactly setting my world on fire. It depends on your cost of living, how much your rent's gone up this year. Heck, even if you consider inflation, which is something I completely forget to factor in until it's too late. If your company is thriving and everyone else is getting more… well, you might want to start thinking about having a chat with your manager. Or maybe start updating that resume. Just sayin'.