How to Make $1000 a Week With Uber Eats: 2024 Guide

If you want to make extra cash and love driving, you can earn those extra bucks with Uber Eats, a popular food delivery service. It connects food lovers with nearby restaurants, and you, the driver, deliver meals right to their doorstep.

As a Uber Eats driver, you can work on your terms and get paid for each delivery you make. But there are many questions like how much Uber Eats drivers make or is it possible to make $1000 a week with Uber Eats?

In this article, I’ll guide you on how to potentially earn $1000 a week with Uber Eats, explain how the platform works, and other things you need to know before driving for Uber Eats.

So, let’s get started!

How Uber Eats Work

Uber Eats is a three-way marketplace involving customers, drivers like you, and restaurant partners. The platform bridges these parties, ensuring convenient transactions. Here’s a simple overview:

1. Customers browse and order from local restaurants via the Uber Eats app
2. Restaurants receive orders and prepare the food
3. As an Uber Eats driver, you receive notifications about available orders, which you can accept or decline
4. You pick up the accepted orders and deliver them to the customers
5. You get paid for every delivery and may also receive tips

Uber Eats generates revenue from order commissions, delivery fees (where a portion goes to you, the driver), small order fees, and promotions with restaurants.

Everyone wins – customers enjoy food variety, restaurants increase profits without a delivery setup, and you earn flexible income.

You might be asking, “how much can I make as an Uber Eats driver?” and “how can I make $1000 a week?” The answers depend on a few factors, which I’ll discuss next. But before that, how to start working with Uber Eats?

Extra Reading: Is UberEats worth it?

Joining Uber Eats and Eligibility

To join Uber Eats and become a delivery person, you need to complete a checklist process verifying your requirements and paperwork.

You’ll need to set up an account, fill out an application, and upload documents like your driver’s license, vehicle insurance, vehicle registration, and a picture of yourself.

After this, you’ll undergo a background check reviewing your driving history and any criminal record. Once all documents are approved, you can download the Uber Driver app, sign in, and you’re ready to deliver food with Uber Eats!

Becoming an Uber Eats driver has a few general requirements:

1. Be at least 19 years old
2. Have at least one year of driving experience
3. Have a 2-door or 4-door car, a motorized scooter that’s under 50cc, or a bicycle (in some cities)
4. Meet Uber’s vehicle requirements and be in good condition
5. Have a smartphone compatible with the Uber Driver app

Your location and type of vehicle might lead to additional requirements, which you can check on the Uber website.

Uber Eats checklist and approval process ensure you’re capable of safely and efficiently delivering food. The process duration varies based on location and application volume. You can check the application status online, and for any issues or questions, reach out to Uber support.

How Much You Can Earn Each Week With Uber Eats

A lot of folks thinking about driving for Uber Eats often wonder, “how much can you make with Uber Eats?” The truth is, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.

You get a flat fee for picking up one or more orders from a single restaurant and flat fees for a completed delivery. Then you get a per-mile rate for the distance between the restaurant and the delivery location.

In some cities, you get per minute rate from when you arrive at the restaurant to the delivery time.

Another bunch of things that affect your earnings include:

• The city where you’re delivering
• When and how often you’re working
• How much Uber Eats pays for each delivery and how far you’re going
• The tips you get from customers (most important)
• What you have to spend on things like gas, car upkeep, and taxes.

To give a ballpark figure, ZipRecruiter suggests that in 2023, Uber Eats drivers, on average, might make around $19 per hour and it ranges from $8.40 to $28.30. For a typical 40-hour work week, you can expect to make $760 a week.

This is an average, and it’s pulled from data from thousands of drivers all over the country. What you make could be very different, depending on your specific situation and approach to the job.

This is still not $1000 a week, and you need to put in 50 or 60 hours a week to reach the weekly $1k mark.

However, if you are looking for an answer to the question “how can I make 1000 in a week with Uber Eats,” with less than 50 or 60 hours, there are a few ways discussed next that help many drivers to earn that much or more.

How To Make $1,000 A Week With Uber Eats

How can you increase your earnings as an Uber Eats driver and reach your goal of $1000 a week?

Earning $1000 a week with Uber Eats is a tough ask, and you need to work smart to get there. This means choosing the deliveries that will earn you the most money.

But it is doable, and people like here do it regularly with good tips.

Think about how far you have to drive, how long it will take, the ‘Boost’ and ‘Quest’ rates, and how much you could get in tips. If a delivery doesn’t seem worth it, you can choose not to accept or cancel it.

Here are some ideas and tactics that could help you make the most money with Uber Eats.

1. Work During Peak Hours

An effective way to earn more with Uber Eats is to work during busy hours. These are times when many people want food delivered, and there aren’t many drivers.

According to Uber, the busiest times for food delivery are lunchtime (11 A.M. – 2 P.M.) and dinnertime (5 P.M. – 9:30 P.M.).

However, some drivers say that late at night (9:30 P.M. to midnight), especially on weekends, can also be a good time to work.

This is when people often order snacks or drinks after going out. If you work during these busy times, you can get more Uber Eats orders, which means more pay and tips.

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2. Efficient Route Planning

Another tip from many experienced Uber drivers to earn more as an Uber Eats driver is to plan your delivery routes wisely.

This helps you save time and gas. You can use the Uber Eats driver app to find the busiest areas (hotspots) where many people want food delivered.

The app can also show you how far each delivery is and how long it will take before you accept it. This way, you can avoid routes that are too long or have a lot of traffic.

You can also use apps like Google Maps or Waze to find the best routes and stay away from traffic jams and road closures.

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3. Use Promotions and Incentives to Your Advantage

Uber Eats offers different promotions and incentives to drivers, and these can really boost how much you make. Some of the common promotions and incentives are:

• Sign-up bonuses: Uber Eats gives a one-time bonus to new drivers who complete a certain number of deliveries in their first few weeks after signing up. How much you get and how many deliveries you need to do can change depending on where you are.
• Uber Boost: Uber Boost is a feature that increases your earnings by a certain amount in certain areas and at certain times. For example, if you would normally make $10 for a delivery and there’s a 2x boost in your area, you’ll make $20 for that delivery.
• Surge pricing: Surge pricing is a system where you can earn more based on the demand for deliveries and how many drivers are available in your area. For example, if a lot of people want food delivered and there aren’t many drivers, you’ll see a surge icon on your app showing how much extra you’ll earn for each delivery.
• Uber Quest: Uber Quest is an incentive that gives you a bonus if you complete a certain number of deliveries within a certain time. For example, you might get an extra $50 if you complete 20 deliveries in a week.

You should regularly check your app for updates and notifications to make the most of these promotions and incentives. Try to work in areas and times where there are high boosts, surges, or quests.

Here is an example of an Uber Eat driver who uses promotions to bump up his earnings. With 16 online hours, you can see he managed to earn over $500, and $154 was from promotions.

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4. Make Sure You Get Good Reviews

To make a lot of money on Uber Eats (about $1000 a week), it’s essential that both restaurants and customers give you good reviews.

The better your reviews, the more likely you are to get more Uber Eats orders. Also, good reviews make people trust you more and increase your chances of getting tips.

So, how can you make sure you get good reviews?

• Always be nice and professional: Make sure to greet customers and the staff at restaurants in a friendly way. Say thank you and apologize if anything goes wrong or takes longer than expected.
• Be on time and trustworthy: Try your best to pick up and deliver food quickly. Keep customers updated about when they can expect their food. Make sure to follow their delivery instructions.
• Pay attention to details: Double-check the order before you pick it up and before you deliver it. Make sure you have all the items and any extras like sauces and utensils that the customer asked for. Also, double-check the delivery address and contact details.

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5. Focus on Areas That Give Good Tips

Tips make up a big part of what you earn as an Uber Eats driver, so working in areas where customers tips well is a good idea.

Here’s what can affect how much you get in tips:

• The area: Some areas have customers who earn more money and can afford to tip more. Some areas also have a culture where tipping is more common. You can find these areas through your own experience or use online tools like Tip Tracker or Tip Advisor to see the average tips in different areas.
• The restaurant: Some restaurants make food or provide a service that customers love, which can lead to bigger tips. Some restaurants also have loyal customers who order a lot and tip well. You can use your own experience or online tools like Uber Eats Restaurant Ratings or Uber Eats Restaurant Reviews to find these restaurants.
• The order: Some orders are for expensive items or large quantities of food, which can make customers tip more. Some orders have special requests that can make customers appreciate your effort and tip more. You can see the details of the order in the app and use tools like Uber Eats Order Calculator or Uber Eats Order Estimator to work out the likely earnings and tips.

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6. Offer the Best Customer Service

Providing excellent customer service can also help you earn more money on Uber Eats. It can improve your reviews, make you more popular, and increase your tips. Here’s how you can offer great service:

• Communicate well: Stay in contact with customers and restaurants during the whole delivery process. Be clear and polite. Confirm the details of the order and delivery instructions. Update them on when you’ll arrive. Ask if they need anything else. Say thank you and ask for feedback.
• Go the extra mile: Try to make customers as happy as possible. Follow their instructions closely. Take good care of their food. Use bags that keep their food hot or cold. Include things like napkins and sauces if needed. If you can, offer free items like water or candy.
• Be flexible and adaptable: Be ready to handle unexpected situations like traffic jams, road closures, parking problems. Be prepared to deliver multiple orders at the same time if needed. Be willing to change your schedule or route if it’s necessary.

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7. Get the Most from Multiplier Zones

If you’ve been using the Uber Eats driver app, you might have noticed some areas marked as “multiplier zones”. These zones are golden opportunities to boost your earnings by delivering more than one order at a time.

Here’s how to make the most of these zones:

• Hunt for Batched Orders: The app groups together orders from the same restaurant or nearby restaurants into “batches”. Look for numbers on the app indicating how many orders are grouped together. The more orders in a batch, the more you can earn.
• Keep an Eye for Stacked Orders: While on a delivery trip, the app gives you the option to pick up more orders, known as “stacked” orders. Look for the plus sign to know how many orders you can add to your trip. More orders mean more earnings.
• Search for Nearby Restaurants: Picking up orders from restaurants close to your location can save you travel time. The app will show how far these restaurants are. You can pick more orders and earn more if they’re close by.

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8. Take Good Care of Your Vehicle

As an Uber Eats driver, your vehicle is your lifeline. So, it’s essential to keep it in top condition. Here’s how:

• Stick to the Maintenance Schedule: Regular vehicle check-ups will help you avoid unwanted breakdowns and expenses. Make use of tools like the Uber Eats Vehicle Maintenance Checklist to keep track of your car’s health.
• Keep it Clean: A clean car is good for you and also for your customers who see you arrive in it. Regular cleaning keeps your car looking fresh and inviting.
• Regular Vehicle Inspection: Check your vehicle for any issues before and after each trip. Look for things like damages, leaks, or unusual noises. The Uber Eats Vehicle Inspection Guide can be a handy tool for this.

Use cashback apps while paying for fuel to get cashback and more money in your pocket.

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9. Double-Check the Orders Before Delivery

Making sure the customer gets exactly what they ordered is crucial. Here are some tips to avoid any errors:

• Compare the Order Details: Cross-check the order details shown on your app with the receipt or label given by the restaurant. This will help you ensure nothing’s missing.
• Check the Packaging: Make sure all food packages are sealed, properly labeled, and intact. Don’t tamper with the packaging as it could violate food safety rules.

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10. Pick Fast and Good Restaurants

If you want to make $1000 in a week, you need to choose restaurants that prepare and pack their orders quickly and correctly.

Some places might be slow or make mistakes, making your deliveries take longer and making your customers unhappy. This can also lower your tips.

You can use the Uber Eats driver app to see ratings and reviews of different restaurants. This will help you find out which places drivers and customers like. You can also trust your own experiences to avoid slow or unreliable places.

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11. Use More Than One App

The best way to make $1000 a week with food delivery apps is not just sticking to Uber Eats alone. Every delivery app like Uber Eats has slow times when there aren’t many orders.

If you want to get the most money possible, you need to get as many orders as you can. This is why it’s a smart idea to sign up for more than one delivery app. You can use others like DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, or Instacart.

This allows you to see different delivery offers and pick the ones that pay the most or are easiest for you to do. You can also use apps like Gridwise or Mystro to handle multiple delivery apps at the same time.

Following these tips, you can increase your chances of earning more by doing work efficiently and setting up yourself for higher tips other than using Uber Eats incentives like boosts and surge pricing.

The Upsides and Downsides of Working with Uber Eats

Just like any job, making money with Uber Eats has its pluses and minuses. Here are some of the pros and cons you might want to think about before you decide to download the Uber Eats driver app and start making deliveries:

Pros

• Flexibility: You’re in charge of when and where you work, and what you drive or ride to make deliveries. You can set your own schedule and your own income goals, and you can work as little or as much as you want.
• Potential earnings: The question “how much does an Uber Eats driver make” doesn’t have a clear answer, but you can make pretty good money, especially if you deliver during busy times, pick areas that have a lot of orders, plan your routes well, and give great service. Plus, you can earn more from tips, getting new drivers to sign up, special promotions, and bonuses.
• Exploring your city: As an Uber Eats driver, you’ll get to learn about new places, different kinds of food, and various cultures as you deliver meals all over town. You might meet interesting people, and make new friends while you’re working.

Cons

• Wear and tear on your vehicle: If you’re using a car or motorcycle to make deliveries, you’ll have to deal with the costs of gas, maintenance, repairs, insurance, and the fact that your vehicle’s value goes down the more you use it. These costs can take a bite out of your earnings and shrink your profits.
• Inconsistent income: The question “how much does Uber Eats pay” isn’t easy to answer because what you make can change a lot depending on when and where you work, how much demand there is for deliveries, how much customers tip, and other factors. You might have slow days or weeks where you make less than you hoped. Problems like canceled orders, delays, mistakes, disagreements over pay, and so on can also hurt your earnings.
• Job instability: When you work as an independent contractor for Uber Eats, you’re not an Uber or restaurant employee. That means you don’t get the benefits, job security, or guarantees that you would with a regular job. You have to handle your taxes, insurance, health care, retirement savings, etc. And if you don’t follow Uber’s rules and standards, you could lose your ability to make deliveries.

What Other Uber Eats Drivers Are Saying

There are many groups on social media like Reddit where users share their experiences and thoughts on working with Uber Eats.

Most users agree that earning $100 a day with 6 to 8 hours is pretty much normal in most markets.

Cherry-picking your orders is the way to go about this hustle, as you need to account for mileage and other costs while making a decent return.

Here is earning dashboard of one user who only cherry-picks the orders and makes over $20 an hour.

Many people also report earning $200 per day, but most such users claim to use multiple delivery apps together.

Having more apps gives you more options to cherry picking.

You can’t make $20 or $25 per hour by delivering less than $1 per mile orders. You must choose your times, days, and even restaurants wisely for delivery to make over $200 a day and $1000 a week with Uber Eats.

Here is what one user is saying about his experience with multi-apping.

However, keep the other apps closed while delivering one order on an app, as it may decrease your acceptance rate.

Some users even suggest these apps decrease the number of orders you get after a certain number of apps, “diminishing returns”, so it is better to use one app at one time of the day and another at another. You can experiment with what timings works best for what app.

Here is one user saying that.

If you are not doing it full-time, according to some users, you should also pick the best days to deliver other than the hours, like peak hours. Here is one user who says, “I always take Tuesdays and Thursdays off as they are almost always the days that drag my averages down”.

Looking at all the discussions and experiences from friends, earning depends on your number of smart hours and location. Thousands of people still using it at the end of all discussion means that it still provides dough to them and is a better option than alternative jobs in terms of compensation for few and flexibility for others.

Other Options Beyond Uber Eats for Earning Cash on the Side

Uber Eats is not the only option if you’re considering earning extra money through gig economy jobs.

The “gig economy” refers to a labor market characterized by flexible, temporary work as opposed to traditional, full-time jobs. It includes a wide range of jobs that involve driving, shopping, or completing tasks for others.

The gig economy is growing rapidly in the US, and it’s predicted that by 2027, over 50% of the US workforce will be part of it.

Beyond Uber Eats, other gig economy options exist, like DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, Amazon Flex (deliver packages), and Instacart (groceries). These platforms also provide opportunities for delivering food, groceries, or other items, with similar flexibility and potential earnings.

You could even work with more than one platform simultaneously to maximize income and diversify your earnings sources.

However, multi-platform work requires careful planning and time management. You’ll need to juggle different apps, orders, and rules while considering the increased expenses and competition from other multi-platform workers.

You need to compare the benefits and costs of each platform to choose the ones that best fit your needs.

Here is a video of a guy doing multi-apps where he throws in some golden nuggets on how to do it rightly.

So, Can You Make $1000 A Week With Uber Eats?

This article has shown that making $1,000 a week with Uber Eats is possible. It requires using strategic methods like working at busy times, choosing high-tip areas, and giving great service.

You can also refer friends to earn a referral bonus when they complete a certain number of deliveries.

Keep in mind that achieving such income involves hard work, dedication, and adaptability. Other than that you can combine other platforms like DoorDash and Instacart that can also help increase your earnings.

In conclusion, the gig economy, including driving for Uber Eats, can be a great way to earn extra income. But, it’s important to consider the challenges and make smart decisions about which platforms to use, how many hours to work, and how to manage your expenses.

More ways to make money:

• Make money by advertising on your car
• Sell internet data for money
• Fun jobs to make money fast
• How to make $1000 in a week

FAQs

Can I make $2,000 a week with Uber Eats?

Honestly, it would be quite a stretch. That would mean working almost 16 hours a day, every day, on average earnings! Although it’s theoretically possible if you drive in busy areas during peak times and offer great service, it’s still a bit of a long shot. A more achievable goal is making $1,000 a week by working around 8 hours daily.

Can I make $200 a day with Uber Eats?

Earning $200 a day with Uber Eats is realistic, but it requires dedication. It’s about 11 hours of work if working at an average rate, which isn’t easy. But using strategies mentioned above like delivering in busy areas, peak times, and excellent service can boost your per-hour earnings. You need to boost your earnings to $25 per hour, and you can make $200 in 8 hours. Many people do it regularly with multi-apping, so it can be done with some planning.

Is Uber Eats a good side job?

Uber Eats can be a great side gig if you want to earn some extra money and enjoy the freedom of setting your own schedule. Plus, you get to keep all your tips, but you’re responsible for your own expenses, including gas and car maintenance, and you have to cope with the challenges of traffic, weather, and sometimes difficult customers. It’s great for people who love driving, but it’s not so great if you want guaranteed income or work benefits.

Is Uber Eats more profitable than Uber?

Uber Eats could earn you more than regular Uber and be a better option than Uber, especially if you prefer food delivery over passenger transport. During the pandemic, Uber Eats even surpassed Uber’s traditional taxi service in earnings. However, Uber Eats has its own challenges, like waiting times at restaurants, dealing with food spills, and facing competition from other delivery services.

How do I get more Uber Eats orders?

Want more Uber Eats orders? Here are some tips:

• Drive in busy areas during peak times.
• Accept as many orders as possible, prioritizing closer orders with higher tips.
• Provide excellent service for better ratings and tips.
• Plan your route wisely to save time and fuel.
• Consider signing up for other delivery services to get more orders.

Can you work full-time for Uber Eats?

Yes, but it’s not for everyone. The average pay is around $8 per delivery or $19/hour, excluding expenses. Working full-time can be stressful and isolating, plus there are risks such as accidents, thefts, or lawsuits. Also, you won’t get work benefits like health insurance or paid leave.

Do tips count towards your weekly earnings goal?

Your tips do count towards your weekly earnings on Uber Eats. However, don’t solely rely on them as they’re not guaranteed. By offering excellent service, you could potentially earn more tips.

Can I work for Uber Eats without a car?

You can work for Uber Eats without a car, bike, scooter, motorcycle, or even on foot in some cities. This can save on costs like fuel and maintenance, and you get to stay fit. However, you might have to deal with challenges like bad weather, difficult terrains, carrying heavy items, and increased safety risks.

Do customer ratings affect earnings?

Customer ratings don’t directly impact your earnings but influence your reputation on the app that correlates with your earnings. High ratings can attract more orders and tips and help you avoid deactivation from the platform. So, it’s always good to strive for excellent service!