Maybe you can teach them how to daytrade. Everyone knows uber/lyft is trash.

 

In my market watching Netflix pays better. As in you’re losing money faster driving for uber than sitting at home watching Netflix…

 

My friend needs a job. Does uber still pay good in Boston?

As of January 1, 2025, Massachusetts requires Uber and Lyft to guarantee a minimum of $33.48 per hour for engaged time (“active time,” which covers the period from accepting a ride request to dropping off the passenger) .

Although that sounds good, it's far from that in reality because of costs and deadheading isn't included.



So converted for various speeds, under the Boston/MA pay floor (2025), rideshare drivers are guaranteed the equivalent of $1.67 per engaged mile if averaging 20 mph, or $0.84 per engaged mile if averaging 40 mph.

This still falls below sustainable benchmarks ($2.60+ for cars, $3.00+ for vans), especially at higher speeds.

So basically the answer is no.

The only places that do are Seattle, WA, and NYC

If one drives in Boston keeping their average speed below 20 mph, they can break even on vehicle and business costs with the $1.67 an engaged mile and if they get tipped then that would pay for labor.

Supposedly only 33% of customers tip and then only about 10-15% on average.

For real sustainability, a Boston driver would need $52–60/hr (20 mph) or $104–120/hr (40 mph), depending on car vs. van.

So again no, the money is terrible but they got a lot of people trying to find out and going bankrupt in the process.

The best paying is NYC WAV and can't be replaced by robotaxis just yet. Maybe a few decades from now perhaps. Supposedly robotaxis are rolling in Boston. Waymo.

Current: Waymo vehicles with a human driver, gathering mapping data and testing in various conditions. There's no public, driverless robotaxi service at this time.

 

As of January 1, 2025, Massachusetts requires Uber and Lyft to guarantee a minimum of $33.48 per hour for engaged time (“active time,” which covers the period from accepting a ride request to dropping off the passenger) .

Although that sounds good, it's far from that in reality because of costs and deadheading isn't included.

Just to address the costs of deadheading, the drivers that really know what they're doing will minimize the amount of deadheading as much as possible. It's not possible to be engaged 100% of your online time, but 75-80% isn't impossible.

 

Um… first Saturday in over 3 months. I’ve driven from 7-till now, 11:45ish. I’ve made $58.50 🙄

 

This job market has stalled. Many layoff and college graduate are struggling to find jobs so they resorted to do uber/lyft--Most job post are actually ghost jobs. There are 5-6 drivers for every trip.

You would think this week is very busy since students are returning back to school.. it is not the case

also, no matter how much you drive or cherry pick, it is still going to be 33/active hr.

Find an independent recession-proof skill or work is the key going forward.

 

Refer him to get money..every dumb shit in the country thinks uber pays good.
No one wants to hear the truth.

 

I see some really nice cars with the uber lights all over them!

 

If I drove in Boston I guess at this point I'd just be trying to stay constantly busy with no dead miles or downtime and not paying attention to the fares.

With a few exceptions (events & weather) Chicago has become dead as well.

 

Grabs those crumbs quick?

 

I thought you were a Boston driver at 1 time. You should know better than anybody.

 

I do OK, but I don't need Uber as a full-time gig like most people on here do. I have two other part-time jobs, one with flexibility, so I simply drive when I can, maybe 10-15 hours per week. I drive an EV and get free charging for a year via Toyota, so I don't have the same costs that a lot of drivers have. My goal isn't necessarily to pay all the bills, but more to pay for the car, insurance, and build up my savings. I'm also not the sole earner in my household.

Having said that, I pretty much accept whatever they give me. For the most part, my rides get bundled. Sometimes I have to wait a few minutes, but it's rare that I wait more than 5 minutes. The vast majority of the time I get sent a new ride before I drop off the current passenger. However, when I use the Destination Filter to go home, I usually spend most of that time just driving home without a passenger (so that's the dead time). About half those instances I get a fare in the direction I want to go. I find it is not worth using the Flexible Fare because that seems to shut off the filter for some reason, so I use the Fast one to ensure I can just get home. BTW - it often wants to send me on 90 or Storrow to get home, but I always stay downtown as much as I can to better increase my chances of finding a fare (e.g. - ignore the direction and get it to re-route). That works way more to get a return fare than taking the faster routes on the map.

My thought is that if I had to do Uber full time then it wouldn't be worth it due to the wear and tear and other costs of the car itself, but also because you essentially pay double taxes with Uber (you pay both the employee and the employer portions). Yes, you can deduct mileage (or other costs if you go that route), and I keep a manual track of that because I drive more than what Uber tells me I do, but still...it's less than my other jobs on a net basis, even if it is more on a gross basis. However, doing part-time isn't so bad. It's money in the bank, but if I had a regular gas engine...man, I don't know, that would kind of suck. I'm already thinking about when my free charging ends next year. As a part-time job, though, it's OK.

BTW - if anyone is thinking of a new car, MA has a $6500 rebate for EVs specifically for rideshare drivers. Due to the current administration's restrictions on how to get the $7500 tax credit, the MA program isn't so bad. In fact, you can add the $3500 rebate for EVs on top of that $6500 for rideshare drivers. And if you make below a certain amount, that $3500 can become $5000. Also, I charge publicly as I live in an apt building, so I don't have access to home charging.

 

You make the point that I've been trying to make for years. Rideshare and other "gig" jobs are just that - gig jobs. They were never designed or marketed as full time work - they were always meant to fill in the gaps between jobs, or to make extra money. HOWEVER, as the years went on, too many people turned this into a full-time job which has different criteria for sustainability than for true gig-drivers. I'm not saying it's not more difficult to make the same money in the same amount of time 2 years ago vs now, but if you adapt your strategy to the changing business dynamics, you can still come out somewhat ahead. Like you, I drive a car that is now worthless, no car payment, insurance that I have to pay regardless of doing rideshare or not. The only real extra expense I have is for gas.

 

This is the problem with America. If your full time job is able to cover all life expenses and also allow you to save money, you wouldn't need 1 or 2 part time job.

I watched alot of youtube videos. Nowadays, you have high car expenses to deal with, utility bills went up 50-100 usd. Some Americans have to pay 300-350 usd just for electricity and water.

About 40 years ago, one full time job could cover mortgage, student loans, car payment, food on the table, electric etc and the wife just sit at home and do nothing...

Going forward, if you need to buy a new car, it will clean up your wallet fast.