A third of bonus-earners are expecting a bigger payout this year

Banking profits might be shrinking and volatility hitting the financial markets, but many in the City expect bigger bonuses this year.

According to a study by recruitment firm Astbury Marsden, more than a third of bonus-earners expect a bigger payout in the next couple of months for their work in 2015.

About 35% of people who earn a bonus are expecting a hike, which is a little less than last year.

Despite the small drop, most finance workers are happy with their pay on the whole.

"When looking at overall satisfaction with remuneration, over one-third (35%) are satisfied with their package, with a further 7% who are very satisfied," Adam Jackson, Astbury Marsden's managing director for Europe, said in the report. "Just 23% are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. This suggests that employees are comfortable about the remuneration they are receiving."

Here's what that looks like charted:

And here's how the size of the bonus changes depending on seniority in the City: