Have you ever wondered, how much does a delivery driver make? While many assume that delivery drivers make a relatively low income, this isn't true. In fact, with the right approach ' and by working as a self-employed delivery driver ' you can take hold of your earnings and make a great income overall.
Fortunately, we've outlined everything you need to know about how much typical delivery drivers make and how much you could potentially earn with the right approach. Hopefully, this will allow you to take hold of your own career and give you greater freedom to enjoy what you love.
HOW MUCH DOES A DELIVERY DRIVER MAKE?
Several factors can play into this when talking about how much a delivery driver makes from their work. As such, it's worth considering the following points first of all to inform your decisions.
Average Delivery Driver Earnings
In terms of average delivery driver earnings, most people in the field will make around $18 per hour. As such, over a typical working week of around 34 to 35 hours, most delivery drivers will walk home with approximately $270 before expenses.
Earnings for Gig Work Drivers
While delivery driving can be incredibly lucrative, in many cases, gig driving is one area where this can fall down. Indeed, given that many gig drivers don't implement specific strategies to boost their earnings, it's not uncommon for gig drivers to only make around $14.50 per hour ' over 20% less than the average for the industry.
However, gig driving can also be one of the most lucrative opportunities if you know where to look. In this scenario, with the right gig apps, you can make up to $50 per hour working for a gig app as a self-employed driver. That's around 270% of the earnings of the average gig driver!
WHAT ARE THE MAIN EXPENSES FOR A DELIVERY DRIVER?
Unfortunately, if you decide to go down the route of a self-employed gig worker, there is a major benefit you'll need to keep in mind: you'll be liable for your own expenses.
Indeed, while employed drivers will usually have their expenses paid for by the company, this isn't the case for food delivery apps. Although, it should be noted here that many platforms have begun offering their drivers benefits such as cashback on their expenses.
Some of the most common expenses gig drivers will incur in their careers include the following:
- Fuel. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest expenses for many people in the gig driving field is fuel. Gas bills are often incredibly high for many drivers, and this can represent a significant sum of your total earnings lost. As such, make sure to allow several dollars worth of fuel on top of your earnings, to reduce the chances of issues arising.
- Insurance. As a delivery driver, you'll need to maintain full insurance on your vehicle, and this should include liability insurance for commercial use.
- Regular vehicle maintenance. When you begin working as a gig driver, you'll need to make sure to maintain your vehicle often. In line with this, keeping on top of oil changes and the like can all be an important ' but expensive ' factor to consider.
- Loss of value. One expense that many people overlook as part of their delivery driving efforts is the loss of value from their vehicle. Since delivery cars experience a great deal of wear and tear, this can very quickly lead to depreciation, losing the value of your vehicle.
- Taxes: As a self-employed delivery driver, you'll be responsible for paying your own taxes ' which is both a hassle and a significant expense for many people. Fortunately, using a tool such as the Para app can help manage your income and ensure you know how much you should pay at the year's end.
These are just a handful of the most common expenses experienced by delivery drivers before considering additional costs such as miscellaneous charges and phone bills. As such, there's a lot to consider when working out whether delivery driving might be right for you.
EARNINGS ACROSS POPULAR DELIVERY PLATFORMS
While gig apps can offer a potentially lucrative option, not all platforms are created equal. As a result, it's hugely important for drivers to consider the pros and cons of each option ' and critically, which of these pays well for the time involved.
Some of the highest-paying delivery apps for gig drivers can include the following.
#1. ParaWorks
As one of the best-paying delivery platforms on the market, ParaWorks is rapidly growing to become a highly-rated choice overall. ParaWorks often pays up to $50 per hour, with an average hourly rate of $25. Accordingly, it's worth trying the platform if you've been looking for a reliable, trusted gig app that won't leave you missing out on the best opportunities.
ParaWorks integrates seamlessly with the Para app, allowing users to easily sign up and get started with brand-new delivery opportunities alongside their regular work.
#2. Shipt
As one of the largest grocery delivery apps, it's perhaps unsurprising that Shipt is also one of the best to work for from the perspective of delivery drivers. Indeed, the platform is widely considered one of the best grocery delivery apps to work on, and with earnings of around $30 per hour, it's easy to see why so many people choose the platform.
#3. UberEats
Commanding a whopping 25% of the total food delivery market, UberEats (along with PostMates) is another great option for delivery drivers looking to make a good income from their time on the road. We've looked before at how to get the biggest orders on UberEats, so make sure you keep this in mind to help inform your decision. Pay rates are around $18 per hour.
#4. GrubHub
GrubHub might not be as large as UberEats, but it's definitely still a great platform to work for alongside your other food delivery jobs. Better still, GrubHub also merges seamlessly with the Para delivery driver tools, helping drivers increase their average earnings and make more for their time on the road.
Importantly, GrubHub is one of the lower-paying apps as standard, although earnings are often around $17 per hour as standard.
#5. Uber
Uber is one of the biggest names in the gig work field, and for a good reason; indeed, it commands over two-thirds of the total rideshare market in the country. The platform also has nearly 100 million riders along with 3.5 million drivers, making it a lucrative option to work for. On average, across the USA, Uber drivers earn approximately $19.17/hr.
If you're looking to try ridesharing with Uber, make sure you also integrate the Para app to help monitor your work and manage your bookings going forward.
#6. Lyft
As an alternative to Uber, Lyft is a smaller but nevertheless still popular app for ridesharing opportunities. With Lyft, drivers can also enjoy a huge range of practical and helpful rewards, meaning that the platform is incredibly versatile for anyone wanting a quality solution. On average, Lyft drivers usually make around $22 per hour.
Caviar
If you already have experience in the gig driving field, you could consider working for Caviar. Caviar drivers often make up to $25 per hour, making it a good contender for the best well-paying gig apps. However, customers will often expect a higher standard of service, in line with the brand's premium reputation and marketing.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN BECOMING A SELF-EMPLOYED DELIVERY DRIVER
Before you can begin working as a self-employed delivery driver, there are naturally a few key things you'll need to check. Luckily, we've outlined several things that could help you find the right opportunities for your own needs.
Choice of Platform
One of the most important decisions you will need to make when it comes to your self-employed gig work is the choice of platform. Indeed, not all apps are made equal, and as such, it's important to choose carefully to make sure your choice of platform doesn't leave you struggling to find valuable and versatile driving opportunities overall.
There are several things you'll want to look for from a good gig driver platform. Obviously, the average pay for drivers is an important factor to consider, but this isn't the only factor to consider. There are also a few other things you should keep in mind to help you choose the ideal gig app, such as the available perks, the availability of work, the speed of payments, and so on.
Before choosing any platform, make sure you've done your research first to ensure that you get a great solution with your choice of app. Don't be afraid to work for multiple apps, too; luckily, it's incredibly easy to multiapp with Para, so if you're stuck between a couple of choices, don't be afraid to give them all a try!
Location
Location can have a hugely significant impact on your choice of delivery platforms and your success with gig driving as a whole. Of course, some regions are more popular with certain apps, and vice versa. Furthermore, location can also influence the number of offers you receive; if you're in a low-population area, you might not get many work opportunities, limiting how much you can earn without traveling.
Generally speaking, more jobs are often on offer in big cities and populated urban regions; however, this can also increase the number of drivers competing for delivery opportunities. Fortunately, if you keep your account's metrics in the green, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.
In addition to this, the frequency of high-paying jobs can be more readily available in city locations, especially if the area is typically a wealthy part of town. However, make sure you consider the proximity between restaurants/stores and homes, too; indeed, it doesn't matter if a job pays well if you still have to travel for ages to get from A to B.
Time Commitments
Invariably, your earnings with gig driving platforms will vary greatly depending on how much you are able to work; in other words, are you planning to go part-time or full-time with your deliveries?
Of course, one of the great things about working as a gig driver is that you can schedule your work around your own life, including which days you work and for how long. Naturally, though, individuals who have more time to put into their work will have a greater opportunity to earn, making this an important factor to consider.
Number of Deliveries Completed
Gig driving is generally paid on a piece rate (with the exception of a handful of platforms, such as Amazon Flex). Another factor that affects how much you'll earn as an Uber Eats driver is your performance. The more jobs you take on, the more you can expect to earn. Also, the more successful deliveries you have, the higher the chance of earning some extra in the form of a tip. Performance drives earnings, and making quick, quality deliveries is the key to maximizing your earnings.
Time of Day
Did you know that the time of day and time of year can impact your earnings significantly as a gig driver? Typically, the cold winter months will see more orders being placed by customers, especially around key times of the year (such as in the holiday season). Moreover, it's worth targeting your work around mealtimes to help increase the potential of getting orders; deliveries may be fewer and farther between at more obscure times of the day.
Order Type
Finally, it's well worth considering the order type as part of your decision. While most platforms don't pay based on the order value, it's worth noting that larger orders are much more likely to pay tips, making them more lucrative in turn.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Have you been looking to start taking on driver shifts, only to find yourself feeling a little hesitant about whether or not this could be the right option for your needs? It's only natural to feel a little unsure when taking on a new job, especially if you're trying to work as a self-employed gig driver for the first time. But, with the right approach ' and by integrating the Para and ParaWorks apps to help increase your earning potential ' 'gig work near me' can become surprisingly lucrative overall.
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