How to Spend a Million Dollar Bonus |

It may be holiday-shopping season at the mall but on Wall Street, it’s bonus season. The amount they’ll receive has pretty much already been determined so there’s only one thing left to do — figure out how to spend it.

The average bonus per employee in New York City’s financial-services industry was about $164,000 last year according to a report from New York State Comptroller, but for traders, sales people and bankers, bonuses can hit seven figures.

By the time you get to million-dollar-bonus territory, you’ve grown accustomed to living a certain lifestyle. You upgrade your wardrobe and buy a car, maybe an apartment or rent a bigger place. The vacations you go on are more extravagant — instead of Hilton Head you jet over to the Greek Islands. Here’s the breakdown: