Uber Review: Is Driving for Uber Worth It in 2024?

Uber is a ridesharing (taxi) app. Users can request a ride from their current location to anywhere they want to go. When booking rides, passengers select their destination, desired vehicle size, and pickup time (if they’re scheduling a trip in advance).

Because Uber relies on a network of independent drivers, rides are available on demand in practically any location, on any day and at any time.

How accepting rides works as an Uber driver

When you sign up for Uber, you’ll receive nearby ride requests in the app. Uber refers to the interface that you use to accept offers as their “Trip Radar.”

Navigating to the destination

Once you accept a trip, the app will give you directions to the customer’s location. You’ll pick them up, follow the app’s instructions to the destination, and drop them off. It’s that simple.

Concluding the ride

Riders and drivers are both asked to provide anonymous ratings and feedback after every trip.

The “default” rating is 5 out of 5, so scores on the app tend to skew fairly high. Your average rating is made up of the last 500 scores you’ve received.

Where can you work for Uber?

Uber is the largest ridesharing company in the US, and you can drive for it in most cities in the country (it’s also available in 70 other countries worldwide).

You can view the list of more than 10,000 cities and 700+ airports that Uber operates in on their website.

Be aware that these lists aren’t exhaustive. If you live in a smaller city or suburb and you don’t see it there, the only way to be sure is to try to sign up.

Getting paid to drive can be a great gig, but it has its downsides as well. Let’s look at the pros and cons of being an Uber driver:

On average, Uber drivers make around $20–$30 per hour. We collaborated on this article with Matthew Miller, an experienced Uber driver who’s completed over 12,000 rides on the app, and when we ran that figure by him, he said it was “reasonable and accurate.”

He said that $30 per hour is his usual goal. Meeting this means not accepting any rides that pay under $10, since his experience is that he can usually complete about 3 rides of that size per hour.

He also noted that $30 is his gross profit, which means it’s what he earns before accounting for expenses. We’ll talk in detail about what your expense ratio with Uber will be further down in this article.

How Uber calculates your earnings

You’ll earn a base fare for each trip, which may be shown upfront or calculated at the end, depending on where you drive (in Uber’s lingo, your location is referred to as your “market”).

Aaron Lawrence, another veteran driver we spoke to, noted that even if your base fair is displayed ahead of time, it may change if your ride takes significantly longer than Uber’s algorithm anticipated. (He also cautioned against taking roundabout routes or driving slowly to exploit this, telling us that Uber “can tell if there is traffic” and “will detect potential fraudulent activity if trip times routinely take more than estimated.”

Tipping

After each ride, your passengers will also be prompted to give you a tip. This is optional, but if they do, you’ll keep 100% of what they give you.

Tolls

If your route takes you on any toll roads, the customer will pay the tolls, not you. You’ll also be paid a cancellation fee if a rider cancels a trip after you’re already on your way.

Factors that can boost your earnings on Uber

Uber offers several ways to increase your earnings beyond the standard fare. You can make more money with:

• Surge pricing: When there’s high demand for drivers in an area, prices may increase temporarily. You’ll have a better chance of taking advantage of “Surges” by making yourself available during busy times like rush hour or mealtimes.
• Promotions: You’ll occasionally be offered the chance to earn bonuses by completing a certain number of trips in a specified time period or in a particular area. These promotions are called “Quests” and “Boosts.”
• Reservations: Accepting rides that are scheduled in advance will often earn you more.
• Back-to-back and multi-stop trips: You can accept a new trip while you’re still completing your current trip, which will cut down on your waiting time between gigs. Some riders will also ask for multiple stops during their trip, and you’ll be paid for your extra time.

What Surge pricing looks like on Uber

The screenshot below shows how Uber displays Surges on its map. Driving to one of the fare-boosted areas can greatly increase your earnings, but there’s an opportunity cost—it will take time to get there, and as you can see, this screen doesn’t indicate how long the Surge will last.

Quests on Uber

Unlike Surges, Uber’s other promotions aren’t displayed on a neighborhood map. You can see a list of them in the app (as shown in the screenshot below) and select the promotion you’d like to shoot for.

How you’ll get paid as an Uber driver

Uber offers quick and flexible payment options. Consult the chart below for details on how to get paid:

We asked Miller about the last option. To get access to this payment method, you’ll need to sign up for the Uber Pro program, which we’ll describe below.

Miller said he doesn’t have an Uber Pro card himself, but that fellow drivers had told him it was convenient to have their earnings deposited directly into it after each ride. However, he also said some of them also had issues transferring money from it to their main bank account, so it’s best to use the card on its own rather than consolidate your finances.

Selecting your payment method in the app

The Uber app features a simple interface where you can link your bank account and select your preferred payment method.

What benefits do you get as an Uber driver?

Uber offers a benefits program, Uber Pro, that gives you access to various perks, including cash back and discounts on fuel. This won’t directly increase your income, but it will cut down on your expenses, boosting your take-home pay.

Miller elaborated on how the program works, telling us that there are four “levels” you can reach as a driver on Uber Pro: Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Everyone starts at the lowest level, Blue.

“You receive a certain amount of points for each ride you complete, usually 3 per ride,” he said. “Point accumulation starts over every 3 months.”

To receive the program’s benefits, you also need to maintain consistently high stats as a driver:

• 4.85-star rating or higher
• 85% ride acceptance rate or higher
• 4% cancellation rate or lower

Miller said that maintaining the cancellation rate is particularly tricky, as there are many legitimate and unavoidable reasons to cancel rides, such as road closure. However, he also told us that Uber Pro’s perks were valuable enough to be worth the hassle.

Becoming an Uber driver isn’t difficult, but it’s also not open to just anybody. You have to meet Uber’s requirements to sign up:

• Be 25 or older (drivers under 25 who signed up prior to August 23, 2023 can continue to drive)
• Have at least 1 year of licensed driving experience in the US (3 years if you’re under 25 years old)
• Have a valid, in-state driver’s license
• Use an eligible 4-door vehicle (Uber’s vehicle specifications vary slightly by location)

Necessary information and documents

Have the following documents ready when you sign up:

• Your driver’s license
• Proof of residency in your city, state, or province
• Proof of car insurance and your vehicle registration (if you plan to drive your own car)
• A passing vehicle inspection performed by a certified mechanic

You’ll also be asked to take a “live picture” of yourself (a selfie), which Uber will use as your profile picture. (Interestingly, Miller told us that Uber periodically sends him live selfie requests to make sure he’s the only one using his account.)

Uber’s background check

You should also be ready to provide your personal information, including your name, birth date, and Social Security number. Uber will use this to conduct a background check that will examine your driving record and criminal history.

This will be performed by a third-party company called Checkr, which also performs background checks for many of Uber’s competitors.

In general, you can expect to pass unless you have serious black marks on your record (such as a felony conviction or a recent DUI).

This background check isn’t a one-time thing; Uber will redo it on an annual basis.

How long this will take: Miller told us that most of the time, Uber’s background checks take around 1–3 days. However, he also said he’d occasionally run into problems that delayed the process, such as Checkr failing to submit the screening to Uber. We’ve read similar complaints from other online sources, suggesting this may be relatively common. Miller said the problem was fixed after “a phone call or two to Uber support.”

You can become a driver by going to Uber’s website and clicking “Sign up now.”

If you already have the Uber passenger app, you can also sign up as a driver there. In the app, go to “Account” and then “Earn by driving or delivering.”

To complete your application, download the separate Uber Driver app using the appropriate button below:

Getting the Uber driver app

App Store Google Play

As part of the sign-up process, you’ll answer questions about yourself and your vehicle. Again, have copies of the required documents on hand; you’ll need to take snapshots and upload those.

Once you’re approved, you can start chauffeuring people around and earning money.

On paper, Uber is a very simple gig: you sign into the app whenever you want, accept rides that you’re interested in, pick up passengers, and drop them off.

Of course, a job being simple doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s easy. How stressful is working for Uber? Are there easier ways to make $20–$30 per hour?

The ups and downs of ridesharing

We posed this question to Miller, who was fairly definite in his response. “I’ve always loved driving for Uber,” he said.

He cited the gig’s flexibility as one of its biggest perks—”You can work as much or as little as you want, which of course means you can make as little or as much as you want.”

Miller acknowledged that “Depending on how you look at it, having thousands of strangers in your car is either a good thing or a bad thing.” While he’s had encounters with difficult customers, he said they were in the minority, and that you will “get a chance to meet and talk with some wonderful people.”

“I’ve always felt extremely connected to my city being a driver,” he said. He finds it especially exhilarating when he’s “out cruising the streets for big events like NFL games and concerts,” and that just seeing the crowds of people in the football stadium or overhearing the concert as he’s driving away makes the gig fun.

From reading that, you probably have a pretty good idea of whether or not Uber’s right for you, depending on whether it left you itching to jump in the car and try your hand or if it gave you stress-induced heartburn. (If it’s the latter, consider checking out a home-based side hustle for introverts instead.)

What are the main frustrations of driving for Uber?

We asked Miller what his biggest complaints with his work were. We’ve already mentioned several of the ones he cited, such as road closures, difficult customers (a rarity, but they do exist), and the need to do frequent maintenance on his car.

However, Miller’s biggest complaint was “the anxiety that comes every year when taxes are due,” since as an independent worker, he’s responsible for doing them himself and generally isn’t sure how much (if anything) he’ll owe.

In the section below this, we’ll talk in detail about the ordeal of doing your taxes as a gig worker, which is something that’s common to all gig apps, not just Uber.

Now that you have an idea of what driving for Uber is like, the big question is whether it’s actually worth it. The answer to that will differ from person to person, but we can point out a few things you should consider.

How much will expenses eat into your profits with Uber?

Gig workers aren’t employees; they’re independent contractors. You’re essentially running your own business when you drive for Uber (albeit a small one with just one employee), and that comes with certain financial responsibilities you wouldn’t otherwise have.

Let’s say that, like Miller, you’re able to earn around $30 per hour when you drive. The key thing to remember is that’s the gross amount, meaning it’s what you’ll earn before any expenses.

Your net income, or the amount you actually take home, will be just about 65% of the gross. This is because around 35% will go toward expenses. In reality, you’ll end up with about $20 (sometimes a little more and sometimes less—these are ballpark figures, not exact ones).

Let’s look at some of the biggest expenses you’ll encounter as an Uber driver:

Fuel

Plan on budgeting: 10% of your earnings

Driving for a living—or even as a side hustle—requires a lot of gas, and Uber won’t help you pay for it.

How much you’ll spend on fuel will vary depending on your location, current gas prices, and what kind of car you have. However, most gig drivers recommend setting aside at least 10% of your income for gas.

Maintenance

Plan on budgeting: 10% of your earnings

Basic maintenance is included if you rent a car through one of Uber’s partners, but if you’re using your own vehicle, it’s all on you.

You can’t go anywhere if your car isn’t properly maintained, so getting regular checks and oil changes directly affects your earning potential.

To make sure you have enough for routine upkeep and any unexpected repairs, plan on spending 10% of your revenue on maintenance.

Taxes

Plan on budgeting: 15% of your earnings

Another reality of being your own boss is paying your own taxes. Since you’re not an employee, Uber won’t withhold them from your pay. You’re responsible for reporting and paying them yourself.

Deducting business expenses like fuel and maintenance can reduce your tax burden, but it won’t get rid of it altogether. Start by saving at least 15% of every paycheck for taxes.

This is the minimum, and you may want to save even more. Miller told us that he tries to put aside a full 25% of what he makes.

You can get a more accurate picture of what you’ll owe by using this self-employment tax calculator.

What you’ll be left with

Again, if gas takes 10% of what you make, maintenance takes another 10%, and taxes gobble up another 15%, that leaves you with 65%. What you thought was $30 per hour is closer to $20.

That’s disappointing—but before you get too discouraged, remember that $20 an hour is still pretty good. It’s a lot higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and significantly higher than the minimum wage you’ll find in any state or region of the country. (As of November 2024, Washington, DC has the highest minimum wage in the US, at $17 per hour). 1

Moreover, Uber isn’t an anomaly here—most driving apps have similar rates and expenses.

Given all this, it’s ultimately your call whether driving for Uber is a worthwhile use of your time and energy. That isn’t a question that has a clear right answer—it’s up to you.

Advice from an expert: who is Uber best for?

We directly asked Miller who he recommended Uber to. He told us that “working for this app is for most people, but not all people.”

Miller said that drivers should be:

• Calm behind the wheel: “You have to like driving, or at least be able to tolerate it,” he told us. “I think we all get a touch of road rage from time to time, but if this happens on a daily basis, Uber may not be a good option.”
• Willing to shorten your vehicle’s lifespan: Again, any driving-based side hustle will put a lot of wear and tear on your car. If your car is your baby, consider finding a different type of gig work (or just driving a rental, although that can get expensive fast).
• Comfortable chatting with strangers: Again, Uber isn’t a great fit if you’re shy or anxious around people. Miller stressed that you don’t have to be “extremely extroverted” to do this job, but that if you’re unwilling to have dozens of people per day in your car, a different side hustle (like working for a delivery driving app) might be better. (He did note that if you’re quieter, you may want to drive in the morning rather than the evening, as people tend to be less inclined to chat when it’s early.)
• Able to tolerate uncertainty: “Needless to say, this isn’t a traditional 9-to-5 job where you know which hours you are going to work,” Miller said. Even if you keep a regular schedule, your pay will vary from week to week depending on what Uber offers you. If your personality and budget demand regular, predictable earnings, Uber (and gig work in general) might not be for you.

The upshot is that Uber is best as a side hustle (or a full-time gig) for people who are able to roll with the punches and don’t mind when things get chaotic.

If you’re not sure how you’ll react to what Uber throws your way, you can always give it a try. Doing this job doesn’t require a long-term commitment, so you have nothing to lose by downloading the app and seeing whether you like it or not.

Miller gave us quite a few pointers on how to make more money with Uber. The best practices for rideshare driving vary from market to market, so keep your brain engaged while you’re trying these out, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

1. Drive at the right time of day

As mentioned, some of the most lucrative times to drive for Uber are during big events, like concerts and football games.

Miller also told us that the best time of the week to drive is between 6 pm and 3 am on Friday and Saturday. He noted that this is a generalization, but that you can “count on these two nights to be the most consistently busy.”

He singled out several other profitable times to drive:

• 7:00 am to 9:00 am on weekdays (morning rush hour in his market)
• 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on weekdays (afternoon rush hour)

He said the least busy period was Monday–Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

2. Be (somewhat) choosy about the passengers you accept

As we’ve covered, ratings on Uber go both ways—passengers can rate their drivers, and drivers can also rate their passengers.

Ratings tend to skew fairly high, since most people default to leaving a rating of 5 stars. Scores substantially below that are red flags.

“I would think twice before accepting a ride request from someone that has lower than a 4.85 rating,” said Miller. He said that customers below this may have consistently done something to get scored poorly and that unless rides are particularly thin on the ground, he’d rather just pick up somebody else.

He did add several caveats. Judging passengers by their rating isn’t an exact science, and he’s picked up people with scores of 4.12 and below and had no problems with them.

Watch out for customers with perfect ratings

Miller said that—surprisingly—a perfect rating of 5.0 can actually also be a red flag.

“It’s impossible to know the sample size,” he said, referring to how many trips a passenger has taken in the past. “Having a 5.0 rating can often mean that this is the rider’s first trip.”

He noted that this might either mean they’re entirely new to the app (in which case their rating doesn’t provide any information about them), or that they created a new account after abandoning an old one (a bad sign).

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pick up people with 5-star ratings. In Miller’s words, you should “perhaps proceed with caution.”

3. Take reasonable steps to boost your tips

Miller also touched on something we’ve heard from several other Uber drivers: making the most of your Uber time boils down to collecting more (and better) tips.

He offered several pointers on how to do this:

• Read the room: Some passengers will want to talk and others won’t. Part of your job is sussing out which is the case. “Upon picking up every passenger, I verify their name and their drop-off location,” said Miller. “Most times, just by how they answer these two questions, I can tell if I should even bother with small talk … sometimes, it is obvious the rider doesn’t want to talk and I’m certainly going to respect their wishes.”
• Offer small amenities: Many drivers stock their cars with amenities for passengers, such as gum, water, and phone chargers. It’s possible to go overboard with these, but Miller singled out free bottles of water on hot days as an inexpensive gesture that may substantially increase your tip rate.
• Keep your car clean: “No one wants to get into a stranger’s dirty car,” said Miller. “You don’t need to professionally wash your car every day, just do your best to show you make an effort to keep it on the clean side.” He said he goes to a car wash and vacuums his car about once per week, and shakes off his floor mats and uses a sanitizing wipe on the car’s seats and other surfaces at the beginning of every shift.

Additionally, Miller said he also always offers to get out of the car and help customers with their luggage or groceries. He originally did this with no expectation of it boosting his tips, but he “learned it does definitely have a positive effect.”

Don’t agonize over your tips too much—some customers just aren’t willing to pay extra money, regardless of what you do. Just focus on taking small, reasonable measures to increase your tip rate over time.

If you’re thinking about driving for Uber, it’s worth comparing it to what else is out there. How does Uber stack up against the competition?

Uber vs. Lyft

Uber’s main competitor in the ridesharing space is Lyft. We asked Miller which app he preferred and he expressed a definite preference for Uber, although he’s driven for both. “I’ve done about 12,000 rides on Uber and about 2,000 on Lyft,” he said.

Part of this comes down to habit—Miller signed up for Uber first and it’s what he’s used to—but he also said that in his experience, the Uber app has fewer glitches than Lyft and Uber’s customer service is more helpful (although he did say he’s found them slightly more responsive over the phone than in the in-app chat).

Aaron Lawrence corroborated this, noting that Lyft’s support is “absolutely abysmal” compared to Uber’s. This is a significant point in Uber’s favor given that with a customer-facing gig like ridesharing, you may sometimes need to reach support urgently.

“Lyft’s support department used to run circles around Uber,” said Lawrence. “The pandemic made them shift gears.”

Does Uber or Lyft have more rides?

He also said that in his market (Pittsburgh, PA), Uber has significantly more rides available. This might or might not be the case in your market, so if you’ve decided you want to give ridesharing a go, think about downloading both apps and sticking with whichever one seems more active.

Uber vs. other app-based gig work

Ridesharing isn’t the only game in town. There are other app-based side hustles you can experiment with.

We’ve listed several of the most notable ones in the table below, along with rough estimates of how much you can earn with them.

How Uber Compares to Other App-Based Gigs

As you can see, ridesharing platforms like Uber are some of the higher-paid options in the gig app space. Notably, they offer higher compensation (both on an hourly and per-ride basis) than delivery apps, the other main source of driving-based work.

Comparing ridesharing and delivery driving

Ridesharing rates are relatively high because not everyone is willing to do this kind of work. Some people just aren’t comfortable inviting strangers into their vehicles or working gigs that require a lot of social interaction.

We asked Miller about this, and he said that while he’d done some delivery driving in the past, he preferred ridesharing. He mentioned several reasons:

• Ridesharing is less tip-dependent: Because the base fares are higher with ridesharing, you’re less reliant on tips to earn a livable wage, which Miller said he strongly preferred.
• The workflow is smoother: Miller also told us he finds it easier to get into a rhythm with ridesharing, since he never has to get out of his car. Conversely, courier and delivery jobs require parking and running into restaurants or stores to pick up orders.

You might find that, like Miller, you prefer ferrying passengers—or you might find that the downsides of Uber outweigh the benefits for you. In the end, it comes down to your personality and preferences.

The good news is that Uber also offers a delivery service (Uber Eats), which is available through the same app. If you’d like to experiment with both and see which suits you, you can easily do so.