In a sense, it's not that simple. When I get paid to give a talk, that's very vaguely a bonus for the part of the work I do which consists of writing. That would be maybe 1% a year of my salary, or a bit less.
In the US, the reason so much pay comes as bonuses is not that they're rewards but that they're tethers. Bankers and stockbrokers know secrets and have clients. If they got all they're income monthly, as salaries, they could leave for a competitor at any time. If 50% or more of their income comes only at the end of the year, they will be far less likely to move before the year is out. So really bonuses represent the part of your salary you would have to sacrifice if you moved elsewhere during the calendar year.
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In the US, the reason so much pay comes as bonuses is not that they're rewards but that they're tethers. Bankers and stockbrokers know secrets and have clients. If they got all they're income monthly, as salaries, they could leave for a competitor at any time. If 50% or more of their income comes only at the end of the year, they will be far less likely to move before the year is out. So really bonuses represent the part of your salary you would have to sacrifice if you moved elsewhere during the calendar year.