Is driving for Uber worth the money? I put this side hustle to the test and nervously drove strangers around northern Maryland for a couple days to find out.
Here’s what I earned:
I made $143.73 over the course of three Uber “shifts” that totaled roughly 10 hours of active driving.I completed 10 trips, put 305 miles on my economical Uber rental and spent $38.80 on one tank of gas. Subtract the gas cost from $143.73, and I earned $104.93, or $10.49 an hour. Only $3 of my earnings were tips, which I found surprising — because I’m nice!
If you’re wondering, the minimum wage in Maryland handily beats my earnings at $15.00 per hour.
Uber wasn’t a lucrative side hustle for me, but it was an interesting experiment. Here are four things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about trying Uber. And if you want to watch all the ups and downs of this side hustle stress test, here’s a video of my experience .
Give yourself the flexibility to roam
During each of my three Uber “shifts,” I had the idea that I’d do rides relatively close to where I live. But the reality of living in a less populated area is that short, local trips can be few and far between. I found that to be the case even on a Friday evening in my suburban town, located roughly 50 minutes north of Baltimore.