You could make a pretty penny being an Uber driver part-time. Lets see how much do uber drivers make, and answer a range of other questions you may have.
INFO: Uber Eats is currently not accepting new drivers.
How Much Does an Uber Driver Make in Australia?
In Australia, Uber drivers earn around $31.75 per hour. Uber takes its cut which is 27.5%. It is possible to earn $1000-$2000 per week if you live in one of the bigger cities like Sydney or Perth. This is the average salary for a driver in Australia, which can be more or less depending on these factors: how much you work or where you live.
In order to find out what the pay is, I had to check out websites where people share their salaries. 1100 people reported their Uber salaries on sites like Indeed so this number seems to be accurate.
Interested in Uber Eats? Find out how much money Uber Eats drivers make in Australia.
Highest paying cities in Australia for Uber Drivers
| City | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|
| Sydney | $34.53 |
| Melbourne | $30.74 |
| Brisbane | $30.46 |
| Perth | $35.60 |
Does Uber pay well? You decide.
This might be too low for some, while it might be quite good for others. In comparison, the average pay per hour in Australia (hourly wage) is around $44. The minimum wage is $19.84 per hour.
How Can I Become an Uber Driver?
Uber Eats is looking for new drivers in Australia and New Zealand. For a limited time (December, 2024) you can earn an extra $200 after 10 deliveries (here are more Uber statistics).
The process is easier than you think. Just follow these steps:
- Sign up from their homepage.
- Send them the documentation they need.
- Start earning money.
What is Ridesharing?
Ridesharing is when you’re linked to potential passengers through an app, being able to accept or reject them if you want. There are many ride-sharing apps available. Each of them lets you earn a different amount, as they charge differently per kilometer.
Although there are countless options to choose from, there are three main ones in Australia. They are Uber, Didi, and Ola.
You can invest in Uber by buying Uber shares.
The best is Uber and it’s extremely popular, as well. Let’s take a look at how much you can make working for each.
Uber Vs Ola Vs Didi – A Comparison
Uber
It is the most famous choice. This isn’t just true down under but across the world.
They came into being in 2009. They entered the Australian market three years later. What’s great about them is that they can be used across the country, in all major and regional cities.
As of now, they charge $1.52 per kilometer. The company takes around 22-27% commission from what you make.
You can make more cash if you use surge pricing. They are periods where there is excessive demand for drivers. During such times, the rates for trips are much higher than usual.
There’s also the Uber Pro Driver reward system. The company rewards you for being an exceptional member of their team. With points allocated, you can use them to redeem goodies. It all takes place in a fixed three-month period. You can take part in the system by not cancelling rides and maintaining a high star rating.
Didi
Unlike Uber, Didi joined the market recently. They became an Australian ride sharer in 2018. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to access their services throughout the nation. They are only available in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Geelong, and Sydney.
The company charges more than their counterpart – you will make $1.74 per kilometer. At first, Didi only took 5% off whatever drivers made. But they recently introduced the Didi Advance system. Depending on how you do, the extent to which their commission is taken differs. It could be as low as 0% charged. Riders say that the Advance System is very tough. This ensures that they don’t take time off, and never cancel rides.
Ola
Similar to its alternative above, Ola is rather new. They were introduced to Australia two years ago. In terms of the locations you can access the service in, they are Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and Brisbane. The ridesharing app charges $1.70 per kilometer, so you can make more than Uber. They take a minimum of 15% commission depending on where you’re going. This would be 20% in more regional cities.
They offer a driver incentive program called ‘VIP Rewards’. Similar to Didi Advance, if they perform at their best, drivers can drop the 15-20% charge to around 0%.
At first glance, it’s clear that Uber driver pay is not as much as its counterparts. After all, they only charge $1.52 per kilometer, and they take a minimum commission of around 20%. But you are not factoring in how steep the prices can be during rush hour. And their reward system isn’t as strict as their counterparts, so you won’t be slaving around.
What Are the Benefits of Driving for Uber?
Now that you know how much you can make, you might be wondering if you should work with them or not. Well, there are several benefits of being part of the service.
You Can Rate Passengers
One of the best things about the app is that it lets you rate passengers. This would let you deal with disruptive passengers with ease. And if you complain to the company about a trip you had, they will listen. They value their drivers as much as their passengers.
Payments Are Cashless
In Australia, Uber widely uses cashless payments. According to the city you’re riding in, cash payments may be possible, though. This is a benefit as you won’t ever risk getting robbed. There is a history of cab drivers being mugged in the country.
The Company Is Popular
Most people think about booking an Uber when going out. It’s the most popular option, so you’d get the most passengers with it. Yes, they charge less than Didi and Ola, but the fact that there are more rides means that you’d make more cash. And as their rates are so affordable, their demand keeps increasing.
As they are the most popular, working for them comes with the most prestige, unlike smaller driving services.
Help Society
Being a driver for the company would also help you keep the streets safe, as you’d be transporting intoxicated people home, instead of letting them drunk drive. There have even been studies done on how the accessibility of Uber has reduced the number of drunk drivers on the road.
Have A Flexible Schedule
As we discussed with Didi, if you want to make the most use of their reward system, you can’t take any days off. This is concerning as one of the benefits of being a ride-sharer is flexibility.
Uber wants you to be comfortable, so you can be as flexible with your schedule as possible. You won’t be considered a permanent employee. This helps many people use the platform to earn some extra cash, like saving for a trip abroad.
Surge Pricing
Surge pricing is one of the best things about using the service. As mentioned, it causes the fares for rides to skyrocket. As surge pricing takes place several times a day, you will also end up making a lot of cash.
Uber Eats
As you’ll see below, there are a set of requirements you need to meet if you want to join the ride-sharing service. Things are less strict with Uber Eats. You can even deliver food on motorbikes or bicycles in several parts of Australia. More people tend to tip Uber Eats riders as they’re delivering food, so you could make a pretty penny at the end of the day.
We’ll cover the average Uber Eats driver salary/wages in another article.
Women Riders
They have quite a few female riders, as well. As they have strict guidelines and excellent support, women drivers are known to be safe.
How Do You Make the Most Cash with Uber?
If you want to make the most cash, there are several things you could do. One of the best is to accept longer rides. Taking several short trips would accumulate the time you wait for customers. This would cost you gas money. And longer trips charge the most, so your pocket would be full at the end of the day.
As the app is flexible, and you can ride whenever you want, you might casually use the platform on the weekends. However, this won’t let you make a lot of money. Remember how we mentioned that surge pricing exists? You should plan your time on the app according to when rides are in-demand. You can probably guess when this is as it’s usually during rush hour in the morning and evening. But you can also log onto the app, and it would tell you when this is as you will see a lot of passengers sending requests.
Uber is notorious for charging a lot for airport rides. This is true for rides to-and-from the airport. By sticking around in an area with a busy airport, you’ll snag multiple high-costing trips You’ll especially be golden if you use a flight tracker. It would tell you when planes land. This means you can be in the right spot at the right time.
You’ll also make more cash if you go into it to kill. You can treat working for the company like a full-time job instead of something you’re planning to do part-time.
The car you own plays a major role in how much you’d make, as well. If you’re thinking about registering for the service and don’t have a vehicle yet, look for one that is cheap to run. You would be on the road for hours, so a vehicle that eats up petrol is not good.
What Can Affect How Much You Make?
Extras
Many Ubers offer something a little extra, such as refreshments like bottled water and mints. They help drivers get the best ratings and tips. That being said, you’ll have to purchase them out of your own pocket.
Car Maintenance
It’s recommended that you don’t use an old vehicle when working for a ride-sharing app. If you’re driving people around all day, a less-than-great car would heavily get beaten down. You’d regularly have to change the tires and get its insides looked at.
The appearance of your vehicle matters too. You should regularly polish its exterior and attend to any chipping. This would influence how well you get rated.
Financing
If you’re thinking of getting a vehicle to make money off a ride sharer, get one that’s not too expensive. You’ll be stuck using whatever you earned to pay off the debt to buy it. We recommend a second-hand vehicle, but just make sure that it’s not beaten down.
Petrol
No surprise, you’ll have to factor in petrol. The more rides you do, the more money you will make. But as you can imagine, you would also be spending more on gas.
Insurance
There’s no way you can work for the company without vehicle insurance. You must have third-party insurance as well as third-party property damage coverage. We’ll be diving more into what they’re looking for in the coming part of our article.
Mobile Data
How would you accept rides without an internet connection? Thankfully, you can claim expenses for phone plans from your taxes.
How Do You Become an Uber Driver In Australia?
To begin with, you have to be over 21 years of age.
You will have to make sure that your vehicle is up to the company’s standards. It will be inspected by the team through a pink slip inspection. Annual inspections must be done as well.
The company will also have to make sure that you’re fit enough to work for them. A background check would have to be done. They will look for things like criminal history and more. Depending on which part of Australia you live in, the rigidity of these standards may differ.
A copy of your birth certificate or passport is needed, as you can imagine.
You’ll also need to send in copies of your driver’s license. Uber required you to have held it for at least 12 months. When it comes to uber requirements Sydney, they are known to ask for extra documents along with the driver’s license. All drivers in New South Wales have to hand in a record of their driving record along with their licenses.
Another unique aspect is the state is a Passenger Transport License Code Application. It has to be added to their licenses, as the NSW government requires this.
As mentioned earlier, proof of insurance is needed too.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is driving for Uber worth is?
When it comes to working for the company, you’ll be making a good amount of money.
They do not charge the most per kilometer, but they are the most popular ride-sharing service, so you’ll make the most cash. The fact that the price of rides skyrockets during in-demand hours helps you make even more. The company doesn’t require much for you to register as a driver either.
There are several things you can do to make sure that the amount you make is high, like limiting the number of short rides you do and snagging as many rides to the airport as possible.
If you are considering working part-time as a Uber driver, we recommend it. You can work for them as much or little as you want!
Resources: Indeed Uber Salaries
2. Do Uber drivers pay taxes in Australia?
Yes, Uber drivers in Australia are required to pay taxes. As Uber drivers are considered independent contractors and not employees, they need to manage their own tax obligations.
3. Can I write off my car if I drive for Uber?
Yes, if you drive for Uber in Australia, you can claim certain car-related expenses as tax deductions. These expenses must be directly related to your ridesharing activities.
