Considering becoming a rideshare driver in Chicago? Before you take the plunge, it helps to know how much you can expect to make.
Your actual total pay depends largely on how many hours you put in behind the wheel. But if you would like to estimate your salary based on the number of hours you can commit to driving, this article will give you an overview of how much TNCs pay drivers in Chicago per hour.
Uber
A great way to start thinking about how much you’ll be making as an Uber driver is to look at how your pay breaks down.
As an Uber driver, when someone takes a ride with you they are charged a fare plus a “Rider Fee”. The fare for UberX in Chicago is currently $0.20 per minute plus $.95 per mile. On top of that, there is a $1.70 base fare plus a $1.60 booking fee according to Uber.
Uber often advertises that they only charge a 25% commission of the fares. According to The Rideshare Guy, however, these figures ignore the “Booking Fee” that the company adds on top of each ride, which goes solely to the TNC. The booking fee amount varies from city to city. The resulting effects of this fee and the 25% commission mean that when passengers step outside of their Uber and only see a $5 charge, the driver will receive around half of that.
Uber claims that the average Chicago trip pay out for a UberX driver is $15.66. If you’re making tow trips per hour, it would make sense that you would be making $31.32 per hour.
This does not happen because as we all know, it is difficult to consistently get two trips per hour.
Sherpashare completed a study that suggests the average Chicago Uber driver actually makes $10.99 per hour based on user surveys in 2015.
Another great way to measure your possible hourly wage driving Uber is Glassdoor.
Chicago drivers have claimed to have earned more than $30 per hour, however, the average claimed hourly wage for a Chicago Uber driver is anywhere from $13.83 per hour to $14.82 per hour.
Assuming an average Uber driver commits to working about 30 hours per week, the overall per-week earnings would be $415 – $444.60. If you are driving closer to full-time hours which would be around 60 hours per week, you can expect to double this.
Lyft
Similar to Uber, there are advertisements about Lyft taking only 25% commission, but once again this does not include the “Trust and Service Fee” which they take for each trip.
According to Lyft, driver pay includes time spent waiting, starting one minute after you’ve confirmed your arrival. The ride fare includes base fare, cost per mile, and cost per minute. In Chicago, the base fare is $1.60, the cost per mile is $.95, and the cost per minute is $0.20.
According to a 2015 Sherpashare report, Lyft drivers make on average slightly more at $11.15 per hour. Glassdoor, on the other hand, reports Chicago Lyft drivers making an average of $14.28 – $16.65.
Via
Via has a significantly smaller market share in Chicago than Uber or Lyft, however, this TNC pays drivers considerably more than both Uber and Lyft. As mentioned above, Uber and Lyft take a 25% commission from their drivers. Whereas Via takes only a 12.5% commission from drivers in Chicago, which is the lowest among any rideshare company.
The Rideshare Guy reports that Via will pay per trip in a similar manner to other rideshare companies, with rate cards similar to Uber or Lyft. Via has also recently announced Rocket Rates, which are equivalent to surge pricing with Uber and prime-time pricing with Lyft. Via’s website explains that during high demand hours, fares will be multiplied by the “Rocket Rate” that will be announced to drivers through text message. Multipliers have been in the range of 1.3 to 2.5 times the fare, which can make trips more profitable. However, one Via driver shares that the rocket rates only operate during Flex mode hours, which fall between midnight and 6 am.
At all other hours, Via has an undisclosed, guaranteed hourly rate for drivers that fluctuates throughout the day. For example, during peak hours (i.e., from 7-9am and 5-8pm) Via offers $20/hour while online. This means that drivers can be paid regardless of how many passengers they pick up.
Curbed
Curb only employs professional drivers for their service, which can be hailed through the Curb app. The Ride Guru explains that since Curb drivers are traditional taxi drivers their payout is based on the standard average taxi cab driver payout. However, the Curb app does take $2 from each payout for using the app.
To estimate how much this TNC pays drivers in Chicago we can look at salary reports for the average Chicago taxi driver. According to Salary.com, the annual base salary for taxi drivers in Chicago is $36,407. Therefore, it can be projected that Curb pays drivers in Chicago approximately the same minus the $2 Curb fee. Unlike other rideshare services, though, cabs have traditionally been a tipping industry, so receiving a tip is more common through this service than all of the others.
As a rideshare driver, what do you think about how TNCs pay drivers in Chicago? Leave us your thoughts in a comment below!
