The arbitrary 8.5-9 hour workday drives me nuts, because a lot of the time, I really only have 3 or 4 hours worth of work to do. I generally work quickly and I value my time. Can I make a decent living doing something that gives me this kind of flexibility?
Solving 12 bugs a week over 6 gets you promoted to Senior and that’s it.
If you want to advance further in your career, it’s entirely about your impact, not the quantity of work. It’s about seeing the big picture - like recognizing a whole class of bugs all come from one poorly-designed interface, and taking the time and effort to create a better one and get everyone to migrate. It’s hard work but it doesn’t necessarily require a lot of hours. It’s about working smarter and not harder.
You got a 12% raise for some above and beyond work.
Getting promoted beyond Senior often means a 100% raise.