#hero pay

Wherever those billions are going, it's not to the pockets of the heroes who risk their lives. We knew that heroes weren't well paid, at least at Class C, and that the Hero Association leverages the fact that it's a non-profit to shame heroes into not complaining. I'm remembering the shock Sonic had when he impersonated Saitama and discovered how little the dude was getting paid (Majin Drama CD 4). He just couldn't understand how anyone would risk so much for so little reward. On the good side, it did mean that Sonic stopped harassing Saitama while the latter was working.

Looks like the shitty pay goes all the way to the top.

This definitely adds a lot of context to individuals' decisions. A few to note.

It makes a lot more sense of why so many A-Class heroes have been moving into headquarters. The difference that not having to pay rent makes is large enough to be compelling. To the detriment of everyone who has lost their neighbourhood A-Class hero, but these individual choices are hard to fight.

Flashy Flash's remark about the mercenaries really resonates here. If money motivates you, this is definitely not a job for you. At any level.

It positively punishes anyone with caring responsibilities. Metal Bat drops everything to go pick Zenko up at the end of the school day? Why? It's not because he doesn't take his hero work seriously -- quite simply, he can't afford to hire a nanny!

It brings into sharper focus why, although Genos has come to accept being a hero, he treats the Hero Association like it's an expensive, vicious summer training camp -- because it's pure charity. His pay doesn't even begin to touch the sides of the costs of his hero work. As soon as he gets what he came for, he's gone. One can only donate for so long.

Along the lines of the numbers just not adding up, it makes a lot more sense of why Drive Knight is so careful about his engagements and tries to make sure that he gets something out of his efforts. Altruism is all very well but broken parts cost money.

Suiryu may have turned over a new leaf, but with pay as atrocious as it is, his love of money is probably going to keep him looking for alternative ways to be a hero. I hope we get to see the shock on his face when he finds out that, no, A-Class heroes aren't paid well. I think he's going to be horrified all over again to find that Sneck and Max put their lives on the line to help him for a sum that he wouldn't get out of bed for.

Altruism is all very well but baby has standards he's accustomed to

Hero work has been treated as a prestige job: one where the realities may be awful, but the social cachet makes it desirable anyway. We can't quantify it, but the awful pay in itself must contribute to why the Hero Association is always recruiting as good people find that they care, but just can't make the numbers add up.

It's a shame. Nobody needs heroes to live like sports stars, but of all the things the public would like to see, having pro-heroes at least have dignity across the board would be welcome, and no one would mind if at the higher levels the heroes can have nice things.