Is Uber Eats Worth It? (Honest 2024 Driver Review!) (2024)

When it comes to apps that pay you to drive, one of the most popular categories is food delivery apps.

The rise of the gig economy has createdsomany new opportunities to make extra money on the side, especially if you have access to a vehicle or bike.

Now, out of all the food delivery apps, you've probably heard of ones like DoorDash, Instacart, and, of course, Uber Eats.

Uber Eats is an undeniable titan in the food delivery space, making it an obvious choice for anyone looking to make quick money on the side. But is Uber Eats worth it? And how much money can you make with this popular food delivery app?

My Uber Eats review is sharing data and real experience on how much it pays, if it's worth it, and how you can get started.

Looking for other side hustle ideas? Checkout:

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What Is Uber Eats?

Uber Eats is a food delivery service that connects local restaurants and popular chains to hungry people. It's actually the most widely available delivery app, servicing more than 320,000 restaurants in over 6,000 cities across the globe.

As an Uber Eats driver, you get paid for picking up food and everyday essentials and then delivering it to Uber Eats customers. And you can complete deliveries via car, bike, scooter, or even walking in some markets.

Working with Uber Eats also gives you the luxury of choosing your own hours and making some extra cash, and getting started is quick and easy.

However, it's important to understand what the job entails, your earning potential, and how you can maximize your time working for Uber Eats.

Is Uber Eats Worth It?

Uber Eats is worth it if you want a flexible side hustle that lets you earn $12 to $20 per hour on average in your spare time. It's also worth it if you enjoy driving, have regular access to a vehicle, and live in a medium or large city.

In contrast, Uber Eatsisn'tworth it if you want stable hourly pay and don't enjoy making deliveries. And in very small towns or rural areas, Uber Eats might not have enough order volume to be worth it.

Ultimately, Uber Eats is one of the most popular gig apps out there. And I like that it's flexible and lets you deliver whenever you want to.

How Much Does Uber Eats Pay?

According to various salary review websites, Uber Eats drivers make anywhere $12 to $20 per hour on average. But pay varies greatly depending on your market, how many deliveries you complete per hour, tips, and some luck.

For example, my friend Grant uses his bike to deliver for Uber Eats and DoorDash in Toronto. He reports making anywhere from $15-$25 an hour, and busier nights with consistent orders earn about $20 an hour.

However,you need to be strategic about when and where you're driving to make more money with gigs like Uber Eats.

For example, driving during peak Uber Eats times gives you the highest number of orders in the shortest period of time. Additionally, working in a busy city or suburban area with lots of restaurants helps limit travel time and get more orders.

Looking at reports from US Uber Eats drivers, the average rates are pretty similar to what Grant earns.

Glassdoor reports an average of about $14 an hour for Uber Eats drivers while Indeed shows $14.18.

Again, this is just an average for Uber Eats driver pay. And you need to learn how to work more efficiently and the ins and outs of your city to maximize your earning potential.

Other Uber Eats Driver Reviews

From my experience and my friends' experience, Uber Eats is a good side hustle that pays around minimum wage or a bit more. And I like the fact that you can start delivering whenever you want, whereas some gigs like Shipt and Amazon Flex require scheduling shifts.

However, one of the best ways to tell if Uber Eats is worth it or not is to see what other real drivers have to say about their experiences.

Here's what some other Uber Eats driver reviews are saying on Reddit about their experiences with delivering:

• TalkingToPlanets says: “It's worth a try but remember you are going to put a ton of wear and tear on your vehicle. The pay has really gone downhill the past few years but maybe it's still ok in your city? I would try the other apps as well to see which is best in your market.”
• Affectionate_Day8350 says: “I think it’s not bad if you only do dinner rush. I use UE as a side gig and it’s not bad. I go out from 5-8 and I usually average $18-$22 per hour. If you stay out all day it lowers to like$10 per hour for me at least. I live in the suburbs of Orlando Florida and I rarely go to the tourist areas.”
• effkroger says: “Try UberEats, DoorDash, and Grubhub and see which you like and has enough orders in your market. Or Instacart. All markets are different.”

As you can see, several drivers say Uber Eats is worth it, but you have to factor in vehicle depreciation and fuel costs. They also say it's important to work during busy times and to test out multiple gig apps like DoorDash and Instacart.

This Uber Eats driver review from YouTuber Your Drive Mike also shares his opinion on if being an Uber Eats driver is worth it in 2023:

In his video, Mike shares updated data on Uber Eats driver pay, fuel costs, and how to decide if it's the right side hustle for you.

Extra Reading – The Best Ways To Get Paid To Shop.

How Does Uber Eats Work?

If you’re wondering what to expect on your first shift as an Uber Eats courier, here’s a rundown of a typical delivery from start to finish.

Just note: you need to make sure you adjust your driver settings to only receive delivery requests. If you’re signed up to drive passengers as well as Uber Eats, you may receive both requests at once.

1. Meet Uber Eats Driver Requirements

Uber Eats is one of the easiest delivery apps to get started with, especially if you’re already registered as an Uber driver.

In this case, you just have to opt-in to the delivery feature as mentioned and accept the terms to start receiving requests.

However, if you’re not already registered with Uber, you’ll have to download the free driver app for Android or IOS and fill out an application to get started.

These are the current Uber Eats driver requirements (the same requirements as regular Uber):

• You must be 19 years of age or older (18 if you deliver with a bike or scooter, which is an option in some cities).
• You must have a valid driver’s license for more than a year.
• Your car must be insured and your name must be listed on the insurance.
• You must drive a vehicle with 2 or 4 doors.
• Your vehicle can’t be older than 20 years and can’t have any noticeable damage.

As you can see, there are also a few requirement variations for scooters or bikes:

Uber also asks you to complete a background check and there may be some extra requirements based on your city, but these will all be listed when you go to register.

Again, this part is important: Uber Eats driver requirements vary by city so check your specific location to see your specific requirements.

Once Uber reviews your application, completes the background check, and clears you, you're ready to make some money delivering for Uber Eats!

2. Start Accepting Deliveries

Once you're approved to drive for Uber Eats, all you have to do ishead to your Driving Preferences in your Settings, and hit Deliveries to start receiving requests.

The Uber app highlights available delivery requests in your area.

You can tap on deliveries to learn more info, like what restaurant or fast food chain the order is coming from, what's included in the order, and the distance you have to deliver after.

The Uber Eats app also shows how much orders pay, but you can also get lucky and score higher tips.

Uber Eats doesn't have a minimum acceptance rate, so you can be picky and only accept orders that pay enough to be worth it.

Just note that at the start, you might not know which restaurants are slow in your area, what deliveries are worth it, or how to work optimally. But you can learn all these skills over time.

3. Pickup Deliveries

Once you see an order you like, you can tap on the order and accept it within the app before driving there.

Note, this commute time isn’t factored into your pay, but if you’re in a restaurant hotspot, it shouldn’t take you very long to get there.

The restaurant knows you're coming, but let them know why you're there upon arrival and double check the order name and number to make sure you’ve got the right food.

Food is already paid for through the app, so you don’t have to worry about using a credit card to complete payment upon arrival. If the food isn't immediately ready when you arrive, you can notify the customer in the app by changing the status to not ready under order details.

This is a good idea because you want to keep the customer up to date and to ensure they know the restaurant is slow, not you (which could negatively impact your tip).

4. Complete The Delivery

A basic customer service tip is to try and keep hot and cold food items separate during transport to maintain food quality.

This will ensure the customer is happy and you get a good rating (and hopefully a tip!).

When you arrive at their location, the app provides you with details to find the customer, including intercom and floor numbers.

Right now, Uber Eats is encouraging contactless orders, meaning food is to be left at the door– but you should message the customer through the app to let them know the food has been delivered.

If your delivery isn’t contactless, it helps to advise the customer to meet you outside a couple minutes prior to arrival, which will save you from waiting too long outside of their building.

5. Get Paid

Uber Eats calculates your delivery fare based on several factors. The formula it uses is: Earnings = base fare + trip supplement + promotions + tips.

Here's what these terms actually mean:

• Base Fare– Considers pay for pickup, drop off, time, and distance.
• Trip Supplement– This can be added to ensure a trip is worth your time. Uber usually adds this if they notice the time and delivery distance ended up being higher than expected.
• Promotions– Uber charges surge pricing during busy periods. Sometimes, they also mark certain orders as having Boost pay, so this is just a higher multiple on your delivery fare.
• Tips– Uber Eats couriers keep 100% of the tips they receive.

Note that base fare will vary from one city to another. Thankfully, Uber Eats gives you an estimate of the payment in the request, so you can have an idea of how much you will make on any given delivery.

Payout occurs automatically as long as you’ve connected your bank to Uber, so you won’t have to wait longer than a couple days to see your earnings.

Extra Reading – .

Tips To Make More Money With Uber Eats

If you don't think Uber Eats is worth it because of the hourly earnings and various costs,there are some ways you can be strategic and make even more money on your delivery runs:

1. Double-Up On Uber And Uber Eats

Uber actually lets you receive requests for food deliveries and passenger drop-offs at the same time, so you can eliminate time between requests and maximize your trips by doing a combination of both.

2. Work Peak Times

As mentioned previously, being strategic about when you hit the road will earn you more money and save you from wasting time waiting for requests.

Focus your driving on high-traffic meal times, like lunch, dinner, post-bar, and weekend breakfasts, when you know there will be an influx of orders.

3. Consider Being A Bike Courier

Being a bike courier is an easy way to avoid serious depreciation and eliminate fuel costs.

Granted, making money with a bike only works if you live in a city. However, a bike costs significantly less than a car to purchase and maintain.

It may also be a faster mode of transportation if you live in a city with bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour, not to mention it’s a great way to get some exercise into your busy day. Plus, who doesn't love getting paid to work out!

4. Stack Orders

Uber Eats actually lets you complete multiple deliveries at once, saving time while increasing your earnings.

While you're picking up your first food order, you’ll get a notification for another pickup at a nearby restaurant.

If you accept, the app will offer directions to the second pickup location, then you will be instructed to drop-off the orders in the same sequence you picked them up.

Uber Eats will usually apply a multiplier to the rate, depending on your city, to account for distance between restaurants and drop-off locations. So you’ll make a little bit more and spend less time picking up orders overall.

5. Double-Up On Delivery Apps

If you’re up for it, you can run multiple food delivery apps simultaneously and work more efficiently.

Many drivers deliver for Uber Eats and DoorDash at the same time. But you have to be careful since with DoorDash, you often work on shift and have to be timely with your deliveries.

However, you can pause your shift for a total of 35 minutes, which will allow you to squeeze in some Uber Eats deliveries.

You may also find that Doordash isn’t as busy, depending on your city, so you might not need much planning to fit the both into your time. Finally, other delivery gigs like Instacart and Shipt are also popular apps to use alongside Uber Eats.

Extra Reading – How To Make $500 A Week With DoorDash.

Uber Eats Pros And Cons

Pros:

• Flexible work hours: With Uber Eats, you don’t have to schedule a shift, so it's a great part-time gig and flexible hustle.
• Instant payouts: Funds are transferred to your account immediately depending on how you’ve set up your payments, so you can be rewarded instantly for your work.
• Combining passengers and food: This feature helps you make the most out of your time and avoid lulls, without having to switch between apps.

Cons:

• Tax implications: Being self-employed inevitably means tracking your earnings and deductibles and paying out during tax season, which can be an additional burden if you’re already not making much.
• Vehicle costs: Cars are expensive! Gas, maintenance, cleaning fees, and overall depreciation take a significant chunk out of your earnings.
• Low rates and hard work: Food delivery is a competitive market, and Uber has been known to lower delivery rates to keep up with its competitors. If you want to make the most out of your deliveries, you’ll be putting in the work when others don’t want to– which may mean saying goodbye to your own meal times and weekends.

How Much Can You Make With Uber Eats In A Week?

Uber Eats only lets you drive a maximum of 12 hours in one day. If you’re doing that for 7 days a week, at a rate of $14 per hour, you would make $1,176 in a week. But your weekly earnings greatly depend on how many hours you deliver, tips, and peak pay incentives, and luck.

This is a screenshot from Reddit from a NYC Uber Eats courier, and you can see they earned almost $1,200 in a single week.

However, driving for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week isn’t feasible for most people, especially if you’re looking into this as a side job.

If you’re like Grant and only want to deliver in the evenings, you’ll be putting in about 6 -7 hours of time a night. This means you can easily make $100 if it's busy enough.

So depending on how many days you work, you’ll probably make anywhere from $100-$700 a week with Uber Eats on the side.

You can also read our post on how to make $1,000 per week with Uber Eats to learn some trick to boost your income!

Frequently Asked Questions

When Does Uber Eats Pay You?

Uber Eats pays drivers every week for the previous deliveries completed between Monday through Sunday. Payments are sent Monday and usually take a few days to process and reach your bank account.

However, Uber Eats also has an Instant Pay feature that lets you cash out your daily earnings for $0.85 per cash out. If you want to get paid the same day, this is an excellent option.

Is Uber Eats Worth It After Taxes?

Working for Uber Eats makes you an independent contractor, which means paying Self-Employed taxes (the equivalent of Social Security taxes). Depending on the yearly rate, this will be around 15% of your net earnings, which means you can deduct the expenses you incur while on the job.

In addition to this, you have to pay income taxes as well– so expect to set aside about 25-30% of your net income to cover both of the above annually.

Luckily, there are many things you can deduct as expenses to your business, including:

1. Mileage ($0.58 deducted from every business mile)
2. Service fees charged by the app
3. Parking and tolls
4. Cell phone bills
5. Supplies – this can include anything that helps you on the job, from a phone holder to a GPS system
6. Roadside assistance
7. Car washes and maintenance

It’s good to get in the habit of tracking all of these things as you go. I suggest using an app like Everlance or Hurdlr to track your mileage while delivering and any other business expenses, which will save you some time when tax season approaches.

Is Uber Eats A Good Job?

Uber Eats is a good job if you want to make extra cash on a flexible schedule and don't mind driving or biking for several hours. And it can also pays more than minimum wage in some states.

If you want to make money from home or replace your day job, Uber Eats isn't a good job.

How Much Does Uber Eats Pay An Hour In 2023?

Uber Eats pays $12 to $20 per hour on average in 2023 according to various salary review websites and other couriers. But how much you earn really depends on your market, tips, weather, and any promotional pay.

Does Uber Eats Pay For Gas?

Uber Eats doesn't pay you for gas, so every time you fill up, you're eating into your total earnings.

Again, you can learn to minimize this slightly by working during less busy times and sticking to a central core of restaurants to hopefully get closer orders.

You can also try the Upside app, a popular reward app, to earn cashback on gas to lessen the sting a bit.

And, you should always use a mileage tracking app like Everlance since this is the easiest way to track income, expenses, and claim potential tax deductions.

Verdict: Is Uber Eats Worth Working For?

If you have some extra time on your hands, delivering for Uber Eats may be a good way for you to make some cash on the side.

However, thereisa learning curve to making money with Uber Eats, and you need to learn how to navigate your city efficiently and which orders are worth taking.

If you want to give it a shot, I suggest tracking your earnings and expenses right from the get go. It won’t take you long to figure out what your bottom line is and if it’s a good long term side-hustle for you.

And remember, you can always add in gigs like Instacart and Walmart Spark to maximize how many deliveries you complete per hour.

Best of luck!

Looking for more money-making ideas? Checkout:

• The Best Ways To Get Free Uber Eats Gift Cards.
• Uber Eats vs Instacart – Which Side Hustle Is Best?