How Much Uber Drivers Actually Make Per Hour
Uber data suggests that drivers overall in three major U.S. markets — Denver, Detroit, and Houston — earned less than $13.25 an hour after expenses in late 2015, according to calculations based on more than a million trips.
Perhaps more impactful than how Uber calculates actual earnings is
how it advertises potential earnings. Uber uses a wide variety of
channels — text message, radio, Craigslist, banner ads, TV ads, and even
direct mail — to encourage people looking to earn money to drive for
Uber.
But those potential earnings are advertised in “total
fares,” with no mention of commission or expenses, which some drivers
feel is misleading. For example, in Denver, Craigslist ads from the time
when the data was pulled said drivers can earn up to $688 a week in
fares; in Houston, ads from September said $660 in fares. (These
estimates exclude Uber’s commission.)
None of these advertisements
mention driver expenses. The same goes for the alerts Uber sends to
drivers — sometimes five times a day or more — telling them that other
drivers on the road were making $20 or $30 an hour in gross fares. Uber
said this is because “there are significant differences in the cost of
gas, new tires, an oil change or insurance depending on the city and the
driver’s individual circumstances/choices.”
But many of the
drivers and some of the former Uber employees interviewed for this
article told BuzzFeed News the company could do a better job educating
drivers about the difference between net and gross earnings.
“That’s
not net. That’s just gross. And that’s if you get lucky. That’s the
best, best, best-case scenario,” said Houston driver John Cerasuolo. “It
might as well say partners are earning $1 million an hour.”
(BuzzFeed.com)
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