(This post may contain affiliate links. This means Sidehusl could earn a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you.) Show Driving and delivery are bright spots in an otherwise bleak job market, with delivery companies like Amazon Flex, GrubHub and Postmates all scrambling to find enough workers to keep up with demand. But if you’re considering a side hustle in the delivery space, there’s a more important question to ask. What driving and delivery apps pay best? Driving and delivery apps that pay bestThe answer varies widely based on the city where you work, says Ryan Green, co-founder of a smart phone app called Gridwise. Gridwise aggregates driving and delivery data, including information on local events and airport traffic, to help drivers boost their hourly earnings and track expenses. With 220,000 users nationwide, Gridwise pulled together user income statistics to compare earnings expectations for the nation’s top driving and delivery services, including Uber, DoorDash and Instacart. These statistics track the results of more than 2 million gigs. (Click hereto sign up as a DoorDash driver) OverallRide share services currently pay a slightly higher average hourly rate than delivery, according to Gridwise data. That’s partly because many ride share drivers have not returned since the pandemic started. As a result, ride share companies are increasingly turning to “surge” pricing to lure drivers back to their platforms, says Green. Overall, ride share drivers earn between 50 cents and $4 more per hour than food delivery drivers in major markets. That includes tips, which are far more likely to be given to food delivery drivers than ride share drivers. Roughly 68% of food deliveries include a tip; just 32% of ride share drivers get a tip. (Click here to sign up with InstaCart) However, there are wide variations in both hourly earnings — and the best platforms to work for — from city to city. How to earn moreNotably, few drivers are platform monogamous. And, they’re wise not to be, says Green. The thing that kills your hourly rates as a freelance driver is downtime between gigs. By signing up for multiple platforms, you can switch between apps and cut your downtime dramatically, he says. Green suggests that drivers sign up for at least two platforms. If you drive a lot, you might want to sign up with as many as five. By strategically switching between apps, Green maintains that drivers can boost their earnings by as much as 40%. Gridwise data summary
Metro areasThe Gridwise analysis shows average hourly pay for both ride share and food delivery by city. It also ranked the best payers in each city and noted how much more they paid per hour than the next-best option. Here are figures for 10 metro areas, listed alphabetically. AtlantaAverage pay: $15.52 ride share / $12.73 delivery Best performing apps:
Bay Area (San Francisco Metro)Average pay: $19.48 ride share / $15.97 delivery Best performing apps:
ChicagoAverage pay: $17.16 ride share / $14.26 delivery Best performing apps:
(Click here to sign up with InstaCart) Dallas-Fort WorthAverage pay: $16.41 ride share /$13.31 delivery Best performing apps:
(Click hereto sign up as a DoorDash driver) HoustonAverage pay: $14.63 ride share / $11.93 delivery Best performing apps:
Los AngelesAverage pay: $17.37 ride share / $16.05 delivery Best performing apps:
New YorkAverage pay: $23.56 ride share / $14.99 delivery Best performing apps:
(Click here to sign up with InstaCart) PhiladelphiaAverage pay: $19.32 ride share / $16.62 delivery Best performing apps:
PhoenixAverage pay: $18.09 ride share / $15.39 delivery Best performing apps:
San DiegoAverage pay: $17.56 ride share / $18.07 delivery Best performing apps:
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