RIDEGURU
Check out this article It's from a few years ago, but its conclusion is that they make less than minimum wages in cities like Detroit. I actually think they are not taking enough out for expenses and the reality is a lot more grim, but it sitll doesn't look so great for Uber.
No wonder people say more than 50% of Uber drivers quit within the first year.
How much Uber drivers actually make per hour [Washington Post]
"Nearly two-thirds of Uber drivers use the ride-hailing service to collect additional income to supplement full- and part-time jobs. But in three large metropolitan cities, drivers make far less than the national average, about $20 per hour, after expenses.
- In Detroit, drivers make on average $8.77 per hour.
- In Houston, $10.75 per hour.
- And in Denver, $13.17 per hour.
But factor in taxes and miles driven without a fared passenger, and earnings are probably much lower, said Lawrence Mishel, president of the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute.
Since drivers are independent contractors, they pay double the taxes on wages that typical workers do. They pay the portion typically reserved for employers along with standard payroll taxes. So add in another 7.65 percent in taxes."
...and their summary? The earnings after expenses?
"Translate that into dollars and cents, and it cuts a full dollar out of a $13 an hour wage. With taxes alone factored in:
- Detroit drivers make $8.10 an hour.
- Houston drivers make $9.93 an hour.
- And Denver drivers make $12.17 an hour.
That’s barely above minimum wage. In fact, it’s 40 cents below Detroit’s minimum wage."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/27/how-much-uber-drivers-actually-make-per-hour/?utm_term=.555857f12b51
Comments
Yep, there it is. I knew it!
"That’s barely above minimum wage. In fact, it’s 40 cents below Detroit’s minimum wage."
Yeah but to be fair, in detroit you can buy a house for like $500 so there's that. If you are willing to reinstall all the copper pipe the junkies tore out years ago and fix up the burned out bits and not have police protection, that is.
This article ignores the fact that of those 10~12 hours a week drivers work, many of those are just waiting for fares, and drivers can be doing other things like reading, working on laptops, sitting at home! Eating. Napping. Etc. etc. Flexibility of the job needs to be considered.
For those who already own a car and have some spare time, this is a great gig. Minimum wage or not, it's that much more than if we were just sitting around doing nothing.
True. There has to be value in having a flexible schedule and working in your spare time.
I work in Denver and definitely make $20-$25 an hour on average. Where do you guys get these numbers from? I’ve never made that little money in the last 5 months I’ve worked. Plus you have to factor in tax write offs, which basically get eaten by maintenance and upkeep, but still...
It may depend on whether you are subtracting expense or not. I’m in Boston and continuously make over $25 (on the selected days I target), but when I subtract fuel and expenses, I’m in the teens for sure. Then multiply that by 2000 and I get my annual, which is pretty crappy for being 40-something.
But you get to be your own boss! /s
Seriously. Uber used to be a nice way to make some money. Now I wonder why anyone drives for them. You can almost do better sitting on your couch.
That's interesting. How much does your couch pay you and where can I acquire one
that is a little bit of a lame statement. minimum wage is still a wage.
the being your own boss thing is pretty valuable though. even if the pay is shit at least you don't have someone breathing down your neck.