Based on my own experience, I can only endorse most of what has been said above. I was a technical grade D M.O.D. Civil Servant for 7 years. My annual report was compiled by senior RAF officers and each year I received an enhanced bonus amounting to a non consolidated, but taxed £1200 gross. That still gave me less than £25000 pa. Two years ago I accepted an industry job doing exactly the same thing and my pay increased by over 60%. I don't know about the upper echelons but there are a lot of good guys at the coal face who rely on their bonus to boost a meagre wage. A lot would like to move on but domestic and geographic commitments prevent it.