# Drive Uber, Make Minimum-Wage



## juicesack (Nov 18, 2014)

Really!? Yes!! And the math is so simple and straightforward! 

So, for every $100 I get from driving, I actually just make a lowly $50! Since Uber takes 20%, uncle Sam takes 24% (this is from $80 x 30%, since I'm single and have other 40h job too), and $6 is for the car. Thus: "100 - (20+24+5) = 50". Unfortunately, this is even worse if I had just signed up with Uber and take only 75%. Because then I get only 46.5 for every 100 or "100 - (25+22.5+6) = 46.5".

I do pay that much tax for my uber gig! Because I have a regular 40h job that gives me health-care. And I'm single too. That's how Uncle Sam takes roughly 30% from my extra incomes. But if you just do Uber 100% though, please count for your health-care too.

$6 for the car for every $100 is ok for me, because I drive a Prius with 40 mpg. So this $6 number for the car expenses (mainly car-wash, gas & maintenance) is kinda conservative. If you drive any other kind of car, please adjust the number.

But at last, the most crucial question here is "how easy it is for me to make $100 driving?" and "in average, how long it takes for me to make $100".

I actually drive Uber in maybe its best market! In San Francisco. Down here, it is really cheaper for people to take Uber than to drive, because parking is really expensive! Or if you own a car, then you would easily pay $300 only for the garage. So, in this 'best Uber market', with regular normal 'luck factor', like in a morning of a working day, I would say I make around $80 in average in 3 hours, from 07 PM to 10 PM. But let's say that I make a $100 in this 3 hours, since that also happens although not that often, then actually I only make $16.66/hour. Hardly spectacular, huh ;(

Once I tried to do a morning hour driving in San Mateo, and I barely make $50 during that busy hours! After driving Uber for some year down here though, I'll average a $200 in 8 hours; that gives me a net income of just $100 or $12.50/hour. Of course someday it would be up, or many fold in just certain days. But in average, that's it .. $200 for every 8 hours driving.

But why then I still do Uber? Believe it or not, because it is becoming like a hobby for me. Now when I'm hanging loose not knowing what to do but want an action; I can just drive and pick up people! It even gives me like an instant companionship too, so I don't have to talk to myself. Or I can also just go to another city and do Uber there; that way I explore the city. That's why I still do Uber, it's a nice hobby!

But the money side though? Once again, it's just slightly more than minimum wage!!


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## mp775 (Jun 26, 2014)

Here's my excellent week. Three trips, two free cancellations. Three months ago it would have been $29.17 gross, $16.83 net.


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## Sean O'Gorman (Apr 17, 2014)

That might be the saddest pay statement I've ever seen. I hope you don't feel bad at me laughing at that, I'm only doing so because there's no way to get a negative pay statement, they just don't send you one. I had a couple of weeks where I didn't cover the phone fee.


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## unter ling (Sep 29, 2014)

sdrivingman3122 said:


> JUST GOT MY PAYMENT STATEMENT!
> 
> last Week 39.6 hours online - only made $597 after uber's cut.
> 
> WHAT THE HECK! TERRIBLE PAY. I'm making $15 an hour and I have to deduct gas + taxes + depreciation.


Welcome to luber and the wonderful world of ride share.


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## cheerose (Aug 29, 2014)

Why are you calculating tax on your Uber pay? There are expenses that you can account for to lower your tax liability.


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## Piotrowski (Sep 9, 2014)

cheerose said:


> Why are you calculating tax on your Uber pay? There are expenses that you can account for to lower your tax liability.


shhh... you're not allowed to point out such obvious things like that. It doesn't fit the narrative that Uber sucks, which is the prevalent thought on this site.


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## Lidman (Nov 13, 2014)

Uber and/or might be okay for a part time gig. Like weekend nights. Less wear and tear on car. I might consider trying it out for a day or two. I'd only do it if there's a rent a car option. I'll look into that more.


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## juicesack (Nov 18, 2014)

cheerose said:


> Why are you calculating tax on your Uber pay? There are expenses that you can account for to lower your tax liability.


Because (1) this just involves small money we're talking about in here; and (2) the goal is not accuracy, but a general picture. So, rounding up numbers works very well.


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## Bart McCoy (Nov 4, 2014)

juicesack said:


> Because (1) this just involves small money we're talking about in here; and (2) the goal is not accuracy, but a general picture. So, rounding up numbers works very well.


but that skews up your point of saying mininum wage
but even at $12.50/hr, that's way more than the federal minimum wage the last time i checked


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