Actual Earnings of a Part-Time Uber Driver

Summary

The video documents a week-long experiment to determine Uber's part-time earning potential, particularly focusing on Thanksgiving week, known for high earnings. The driver shares daily experiences, including rides, earnings, and Uber's new trip preview feature. Despite challenges like being signed out prematurely and unpredictable demand, the driver earned approximately $757 over 24.5 hours, averaging nearly $28/hour. The video concludes that while Uber's earnings have decreased since last year, it remains a viable side gig, especially for those willing to work peak nights.

Takeaways

• 🚗 The driver committed to a week-long experiment to determine Uber earnings, focusing on Thanksgiving week for its high-earning potential.
• 🎯 The first day involved driving from 5:30 AM to 10:00 AM, with nine trips earning $90 and spending $12 on gas, highlighting the early morning rush.
• 📉 On day two, the driver experienced delays and technical issues, including a suspected account hack, affecting the number of rides and overall earnings.
• 🧩 Day three was Thanksgiving Eve, known for high earnings due to increased bar activity. However, the driver was signed out of the app just before peak time, possibly missing out on earnings.
• 🤔 The driver questioned Uber's motives for signing them out of the app, suspecting it might be to avoid paying a promotion bonus.
• 🦃 Despite Thanksgiving Day being a holiday, the driver went out to complete rides to reach a promotion goal, but faced difficulties in getting requests.
• 🛌 On day six, the driver unintentionally missed driving due to oversleeping, emphasizing the need for self-discipline in gig work.
• 💤 The driver chose to rest instead of driving on a potentially profitable Saturday night, showcasing the flexibility and personal choice involved in Uber driving.
• 📊 Day seven showed slow earnings due to a rainy Sunday morning, but the driver still managed to earn a decent hourly rate for part-time work.
• 📉 The total earnings for the week were $757 after 24.5 hours of driving and $72 on gas, averaging to almost $28 per hour, a decrease from previous years.
• 🔑 The driver concluded that while Uber earnings have decreased, the platform now offers more driver information and control, which can improve safety and scheduling.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the video and the experiment conducted by the narrator?

The purpose of the video was to determine how much one could earn part-time driving for Uber, specifically during the week of Thanksgiving, which includes one of the busiest bar nights of the year.

Why did the narrator choose the week of Thanksgiving for the experiment?

The narrator chose the week of Thanksgiving because it includes Thanksgiving Eve, which is considered one of the busiest bar nights of the year, potentially leading to higher earnings for Uber drivers.

How did the narrator's first day of driving go, and what was the outcome?

On the first day, the narrator drove from 5:30 AM to 9:30 AM, completing nine trips and earning ninety dollars, minus twelve dollars spent on gas, and was back home by 9:30 AM to start their day.

What change has Uber made that the narrator found helpful?

Uber now shows rides before drivers accept them, which the narrator found extremely helpful for managing their schedule and avoiding long trips that could delay their return.

What was the narrator's experience with an unaccompanied minor during their second day of driving?

On the second day, the narrator had a drop-off that made them realize the girl in their car was an unaccompanied minor, which was a surprising and concerning situation.

Why was the narrator frustrated on the night of Thanksgiving Eve?

The narrator was frustrated because they were signed out of the Uber app right after 2 AM, which they suspected was to prevent them from earning a 55-dollar bonus that would have been paid out of Uber's pocket.

What was the narrator's strategy to maximize earnings on Thanksgiving Eve?

The narrator's strategy was to drive during peak hours, especially on Thanksgiving Eve, which is known for high demand due to it being the busiest bar night of the year.

Why did the narrator decide to drive on Thanksgiving Day?

The narrator decided to drive on Thanksgiving Day to fulfill the requirement of one more ride to hit a promotion that they were close to achieving before being signed out of the app the previous night.

How did the narrator's earnings compare between the weekdays and the weekend after Thanksgiving?

The weekdays, especially Thanksgiving Eve, yielded higher earnings per hour compared to the weekend after Thanksgiving. The narrator made $176 on a slow Friday night and had a low hourly rate on a rainy Sunday morning.

What was the narrator's overall hourly earnings for the week-long experiment?

The narrator's overall hourly earnings for the week-long experiment were almost twenty-eight dollars an hour, which included cash tips and promotions earned over the course of 24 and a half hours on the road.

What was the narrator's conclusion about driving for Uber in 2023?

The narrator concluded that Uber is a better option now than it was in the past due to improvements like providing drivers with ride information before selection, making them feel more in control and safer. However, they noted a decrease in earnings compared to a previous experiment, attributing part of this to less promotional money offered by Uber.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Uber Part-Time Earnings Experiment

The narrator embarked on a week-long experiment to determine the part-time earnings potential of driving for Uber, particularly during Thanksgiving week, which includes one of the busiest bar nights. Starting on a Monday, the driver aimed to work until 10 a.m., giving nine rides and earning $90 minus $12 on gas. Uber's new approach of showing rides before acceptance was highlighted as helpful. Despite some challenges like a minor and a potential account hack, the driver remained optimistic about the earnings potential, especially looking forward to Thanksgiving Eve. The unpredictable nature of Uber was a key takeaway, as was the driver's commitment to the experiment, even on Thanksgiving Day, in pursuit of a promotion bonus.

05:00

🎉 Earnings and Insights from Uber Driving

This paragraph delves into the narrator's personal experience and financial breakdown of being an Uber driver. The driver emphasizes the lack of a boss and the freedom that comes with it, but also the responsibility to show up and the absence of benefits like sick pay or vacation time. Despite missing out on a potentially lucrative Saturday night, the driver notes the importance of discipline and the trade-offs involved. The final earnings tally includes $757 made over 24.5 hours on the road, amounting to nearly $28 an hour, a decrease from a previous experiment conducted earlier in the year. The driver also reflects on the changes in Uber's approach, such as providing ride information beforehand, which has made the job more appealing despite the reduced earnings. The paragraph concludes with a teaser for a video detailing the risks and expenses associated with rideshare driving.

Keywords

💡Uber

Uber is a ridesharing company that allows individuals to use their personal vehicles to provide transportation services to customers through a mobile app. In the video's context, the driver uses Uber as a part-time job to earn income. The script mentions various aspects of being an Uber driver, such as the unpredictability of earnings and the changes in Uber's approach to showing rides before they are accepted.

💡Part-time

Part-time work refers to employment where a person works fewer hours than are typically worked in a full-time job. The video's theme revolves around exploring the earnings potential of working part-time as an Uber driver. The narrator commits to a week of part-time driving to determine the viability of Uber as a side gig in 2023.

💡Earnings

Earnings in this context refer to the income generated by the Uber driver through providing rides. The video's primary focus is on quantifying these earnings over a week of part-time driving. The script provides detailed figures of daily earnings, gas expenses, and hourly rates, which are crucial for evaluating the financial aspect of being an Uber driver.

💡Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving Eve, the night before Thanksgiving, is typically one of the busiest nights for bars and social gatherings. In the script, the driver specifically chooses this week to drive Uber because it's expected to be one of the highest earning nights, illustrating the impact of holidays and special events on the potential earnings of rideshare drivers.

💡Promotion

A promotion in the context of Uber refers to a bonus or incentive offered by the company to drivers to complete a certain number of rides within a specified time frame. The script mentions the driver's frustration with being signed out of the app just shy of earning a promotion, suggesting that promotions can be a significant part of a driver's income but also subject to the company's policies.

💡Unpredictability

Unpredictability in the video refers to the inconsistency and uncertainty of ride requests and earnings as an Uber driver. The narrator highlights this concept by sharing experiences of long wait times between rides and the difficulty in predicting earnings, which is a key aspect of the gig economy.

💡Tips

Tips are optional payments given by customers to drivers for good service. In the script, the driver notes the variability in tipping, with some riders being very generous while others do not tip at all. Tips are an important component of a driver's total earnings and can significantly affect their hourly rate.

💡Gig Economy

The gig economy refers to a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. The video explores the gig economy through the lens of Uber driving, emphasizing the lack of traditional employment benefits like sick pay or vacation time, and the need for self-discipline and personal responsibility.

💡Safety

Safety is a critical concern for both drivers and riders in the context of ridesharing services. The script mentions Uber's updated approach to show ride details before acceptance, which the driver appreciates for providing a sense of control and safety, knowing more about the ride before committing to it.

💡Bar Crowd

The term 'bar crowd' in the script refers to the customers who are likely to use Uber services after spending time at bars or social events. The driver notes that Friday and Saturday nights, when bars are busy, are particularly lucrative for Uber drivers, indicating the importance of understanding customer behavior to maximize earnings.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the ability to control one's behavior and emotions, especially in pursuit of long-term goals. The video script discusses the importance of discipline for Uber drivers, who must manage their own schedules and work hours without the structure of a traditional job. An example from the script is the driver's decision to nap and subsequently missing out on a potentially profitable Saturday night.

Highlights

Committed to a week-long experiment to determine Uber part-time earnings, specifically during Thanksgiving week for high earning potential.

Started on a Monday with the goal to finish by 10 a.m., providing a strategic approach to Uber driving.

Uber's new approach of showing rides before acceptance allows for better planning and safety.

Day one earnings after expenses amounted to $90, showcasing a practical example of daily income.

Day two involved challenges such as waiting times and a minor incident with an unaccompanied minor.

Highlight of the unpredictability of Uber driving and the importance of adaptability.

Day three earnings were affected by being signed out of the app, raising suspicion of intentionality to avoid bonuses.

Despite frustrations, continued the experiment to maintain integrity and explore Uber's promotion system.

Day four involved driving on Thanksgiving with the aim to reach a promotion, facing unexpected challenges.

Day five showed earnings of $176 with a relatively low gas expense, indicating a profitable slow night.

Day six was a non-factor due to an unintentional long nap, emphasizing the discipline required for Uber driving.

Day seven revealed the lowest hourly earnings but still provided a valuable insight into Sunday morning driving.

Total earnings for the week were $757 after 24.5 hours on the road and $72 on gas, averaging to $27.50 an hour.

A comparison to previous earnings indicated a 10% decrease, suggesting changes in Uber's earnings structure.

Uber's current system provides more driver information, increasing control and safety.

Emphasized the high earning potential of Friday and Saturday nights, particularly for the bar crowd.

Encouraged viewers to consider the risks and expenses of rideshare driving, offering a balanced perspective.

Transcripts

I wanted to find out how much I could

actually earn doing Uber part-time so I

committed myself to seven days of

driving I did this over the week of

Thanksgiving specifically because day

three will be Thanksgiving Eve aka the

busiest bar night of the year this

translates to being one of the highest

earning nights to drive Uber I hope you

enjoy this journey and at the end of

this video I'll be sure to share my

total earnings and my take on whether or

not Uber is worth it in 2023. day one of

figuring out how much an Uber driver

actually earns I started my Monday at 5

30 in the morning with the goal to be

done by 10 at the latest and my first

ride brought me into Philly where I got

a friendly reminder as why you should

always maintain a safe following

distance my second ride was a sweet

little Argentinian woman who might have

been pushing 80 but still traveling

around the world after that I bounced

around Delco for the rest of the morning

Uber has changed their approach and is

now showing the rides before you accept

them so it's actually extremely helpful

for instance I could reject this 100

minute trip out the Lancaster because

otherwise I would have gotten back way

later than my 10 a.m deadline all in all

I gave nine trips earned ninety dollars

and spent 12 dollars on gas and was back

home by 9 30 to start my day day two of

the life of a part-time Uber driver I

had to wait 17 cold minutes before I got

my first ride and then later I had a

drop off that made me realize the girl

in my car was an unaccompanied minor

yikes after that it took me a full 40

minutes to get another request only to

then get a text from Uber implying that

my account got hacked as I was changing

my password the ride canceled I guess

because they saw me sitting there not

moving I'm pissed my cameras mic was off

because my next ride said the most

beautiful thing about being a parent

something like I look at my son and I

understand why life is worth living now

it's pretty cool to hear as most of the

time people just complain about their

kids yesterday only one out of nine

Riders tipped me compared to today where

five out of my seven Riders flexed their

generosity muscle most notably the

blue-haired Superman who dropped a 10

spot on an eight dollar fare the weekday

morning commute was never a good time to

make money and it seems like nothing has

changed after gas my hourly was over 16

and without those tips it would have

been less than 11. but that's okay

because tomorrow is Thanksgiving Eve and

I'm very excited to see how much I can

make on the busiest bar night of the

year it is 2 28 in the morning I started

at 8 30 so that was six hours I just got

done pumping gas got a bit of a show as

I was doing it a little over 18 dollars

for gas tonight and I cannot tell you

how much I earned because Uber signed me

out right after two o'clock peak time

which is so frustrating I feel like I

missed one or two uh Peak rides at first

I thought maybe it's a glitch because

it's a busy night for the servers but

then I realized that I was only two

rides away from hitting the 55 bonus

that they would have to pay me out of

pocket a little suspicious if you ask me

one thing I'm getting from this project

or at least I hope you're getting

because I already knew it the

unpredictability of uber I was finally

able to log into the app the next

morning here are the final numbers

earning over forty dollars an hour for a

side hustle where you're Your Own Boss

is a pretty sweet gig and despite the

late night I was up and at it early the

next day hoping to find two more rides

before Turkey Time see this would have

been day four of figuring out how much I

can actually earn driving Uber

originally I had promised myself I

wasn't going to work being that it's

Thanksgiving but Uber had signed me out

of the app the night before when I was

just too ride short of hitting my

promotion and for the Integrity of this

project I just couldn't leave that money

on the table so I drove up and down

Baltimore Pike for over a half an hour

on Thanksgiving looking for a ride and I

don't know if it was dead or if Uber was

purposely freezing me out so they didn't

have to pay me the promotion money but I

wasn't getting a single request this is

not uncommon I've heard from so many

drivers that Uber always seems to make

it difficult to find rides once you get

close to hitting your promotion and at

this point it was personal so with a

belly full of turkey I went out at night

on Thanksgiving got my two rides

door-to-door was a total of two hours

spent six dollars and 17 cents on gas

and if I didn't include the promotion

because it was earned over the past four

days the hourly would have been dog this

is day five of figuring out how much an

Uber driver can actually earn it is the

Friday after Thanksgiving and I think

the holiday is finally catching up to

people because it was pretty slow

tonight regardless I still made 176

dollars and just spent 14 on gas door to

door I was out for four hours and 45

minutes which works out to be over

thirty four dollars an hour which in my

opinion isn't bad at all for a side

hustle especially on a slow Friday night

now for day six I had every intention of

going out on Saturday night but I had

sat down on my couch at 7 pm with the

intention of a 20 minute power nap and

when I woke up it was three in the

morning and I kind of like the fact that

that happened not only because I

obviously needed some sleep but it

speaks to how you need to be disciplined

in order to do this gig there's no boss

that's going to scold you for not

showing up and there's no sick pay or

vacation time if you miss a day of work

and when you miss a Saturday night the

biggest night of the week well if you

were counting on that money you're

screwed but on the flip side it's not

like I got in trouble with Uber the only

thing I lost was opportunity so for day

six it's obviously a non-factor in the

final tally but for those curious I have

a feeling that Saturday would have been

very similar to Friday Night final day

of figuring out how much an Uber driver

actually earns despite it being a rainy

Sunday morning I was actually excited

for today back when I was driving Uber

full-time Sunday morning was when I

treated myself to a coffee and a donut

and listen to country top 40 countdown

well I was reminded real quick why I

stopped driving on Sunday morning I

spent most of it sitting waiting for a

ride and to top it off most of the

country they were playing were Christmas

songs which I love country and I love

Christmas music but like food and sex

two great things don't always go great

together my hourly earnings was the

worst of this project so far but I did

find myself a steal in the donut aisle

any day you can get half a dozen donuts

for three dollars is a good day all in

all I spend 72 dollars on gas spent 24

and a half hours on the road and with

sixteen dollars in cash tips earned a

total of 757 dollars which worked out to

be almost twenty eight dollars an hour

that's almost a ten percent decrease in

earnings from when I did this same

project in the beginning of this year

where I earned over thirty dollars an

hour part of that difference is due to

how little promotional money that they

offer now and I think it should be noted

that they didn't even give me another

promotion for the weekend as they

usually do that said I actually think

Uber is a better option now than it was

then the fact that they're finally

giving drivers information on the rise

before they select them not only makes

me feel more in control of my schedule

but more importantly safer as I have an

idea of what the heck I'm getting into

before I choose a ride Rush Hour

earnings are incredibly addictable but

if you're willing to work Friday and

Saturday nights for the bar crowd I

think that's where the money's at if you

want to see more of the risks that come

along with Rideshare like this here

along with some of the expenses that go

with it check out this video here thanks

for watching