small salary; meager pay
Literally 'five to (a unit of volume) of rice', used figuratively for a very modest salary or stipend. Often carries a classical or literary flavor, and may appear in historical or idiomatic contexts.
There's no need to worry over such a small salary.
彼は五斗米に甘んじることなく、新たな道を模索した。
Not content with a meager stipend, he sought a new path.
From the literal meaning 'five to of rice', a classical unit of volume. The figurative sense of a small salary derives from the idea of a minimal, fixed payment in rice, historically associated with minor officials or retainers.