While some food delivery drivers prefer to look at hourly earnings as their primary gauge of performance, others prefer to look at how much DoorDash drivers make per delivery. They figure, rightfully so, that if they can squeeze in extra deliveries, they earn more money. This is especially true with DoorDash drivers, which we will discuss later in this blog post.
To provide you with an answer to how much does DoorDash pay per delivery, we consulted Gridwise Analytics. Gridwise Analytics takes its numbers from the more than 500,000 gig drivers who have downloaded the free Gridwise app to improve their gig driver earnings. Using drivers’ feedback, Gridwise has aggregated and anonymized the numbers. The result is the best picture of how much you can make doing DoorDash and other gig driving jobs.
You can also get a good sense of all the essential DoorDash earnings numbers by looking at another Gridwise blog post, 2023 Doordash Earnings Report. Glean another perspective on DoorDash earnings from DoorDash Driver Pay: What Did Drivers Earn in 2022. For now, though, let’s look at how much DoorDash drivers make per delivery.
Here's what we cover:
A breakdown of DoorDash driver base pay
Top Dashers (that’s what DoorDash calls their drivers) look for at least a dollar a mile in base pay. Some will only accept orders that are closer to two dollars. When an order appears on your app, you see the base pay, which is computed by time, the distance you need to travel, and the desirability of the order.
But other factors can increase this dollar amount.
How to maximize your DoorDash driver earnings
Additional ways exist to increase how much DoorDash drivers make within the DoorDash framework beyond the base pay.
Peak Pay. When things get busy, DoorDash will institute Peak Pay. This is an add-on to the payment you see on the app when the order appears.
Challenges. Challenges are a way DoorDash tries to keep its drivers loyal to the app. You will see a Challenge on your app, offering a bonus for a set number of deliveries completed in a certain amount of time. You might also receive Challenge offers through SMS or email. Challenges also appear as an add-on.
How much do DoorDash drivers make per delivery?
Source: Gridwise Analytics. Graph also appears in 2023 Doordash Earnings Report.
Over the last seven quarters, ending in Q3 2023, DoorDash drivers earned between $8.25 and $8.50 per delivery.
The best DoorDash drivers, however, try to look at their earnings from as many perspectives as possible. For a quick look at this multifaceted perspective on DoorDash earnings, see Gridwise’s recent blog post, 2023 Doordash Earnings Report.
While this blog post focuses on how much DoorDash drivers make per delivery, it is important to understand and appreciate all aspects of Dasher earnings.
Tips for maximizing DoorDash driver earnings per delivery
There are things drivers can do to increase earnings per delivery.
Squeezing in extra deliveries
Work those DoorDash double orders, where you get two orders from the same restaurant, going in the same general direction Double orders are key to increasing earnings. Some drivers will go so far as to take their time after receiving the first delivery, creating extra time for another delivery to get tracked onto the first. You can read more about DoorDash double orders on the DoorDash website.
Get to know the restaurants
Take note of ordering patterns. Some restaurants might be more apt to attract DoorDash double orders. You want to become familiar with them.
Learn about ghost kitchens
Third-party delivery services like DoorDash have revolutionized the restaurant industry. They have also given birth to ghost kitchens. These are kitchen-only operations that target the delivery market. Learn more about ghost kitchens at TheFoodCorridor.com. If there is a ghost kitchen in your area, it can make a big difference in your business.
Try to find your ideal trip distance
Veteran DoorDash drivers will tell you to shy away from the longer distance trips that are more likely to steer you away from the vicinity of restaurants and additional deliveries. You might get an order from a downtown restaurant to a home 20 minutes away. You’ll get good money for that delivery, but you might have to drive 20 minutes back to an area where you’ll pick up another delivery. Find the ideal distance for your region that provides good earnings and allows you to increase your trips per hour.
Work those tips
DoorDash passes on 100% of driver tips through the app. This is a great way to increase your per-delivery income. Carry an extra thermal back for large orders to ensure everything is warm. You don’t have to wear a tie, but dress nicely. Don’t forget to smile. Your parents paid a lot of money for those orthodontics. Show off those pearly whites.
Pay attention to the hours you deliver food
In a recent Gridwise blog post, How Much Do DoorDash Drivers Make per Hour, you can see that prime delivery hours revolve around lunch (11:30 am to 1:30 pm) and dinner (5:00 pm to 9:00 pm). Working outside of those times might prove unproductive and drive numbers down if you're looking at earnings from a per-delivery basis.
Does your market lend itself to a bicycle?
DoorDash accommodates bicycle delivery in markets amenable to that mode of transportation. These are generally dense inner-city areas where bikes are more maneuverable than cars, and you don’t have to worry about parking. Check out a recent Gridwise blog post, The Ultimate Guide to Gigs You Can Do on a Bicycle or Scooter. It just might work for you.
Look at your DoorDash earnings from different perspectives
As we said earlier, the best DoorDash drivers look for every earnings insight possible. Per-delivery earnings are significant, but so are hourly earnings, daily earnings, and seeing how tips fit into the equation. For a complete perspective on DoorDash earnings, see the recent Gridwise blog post, 2023 Doordash Earnings Report.
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