DoorDash Driver Pay: What Do Dashers Earn in 2023?

What do you think? Have DoorDash earnings stayed solid, even now that more customers are eating in at restaurants and doing their own convenience store shopping? A look at the numbers that have come in for DoorDash driver pay tells us that customers’ appetites for delivery hasn’t slowed down much at all! Gridwise data show that DoorDash earnings have remained stable over the first three quarters of 2022.

In this post, we’ll answer all kinds of questions about DoorDash driver pay, including

• How much do DoorDashers make?
• How much do Dashers make per month?
• How does DoorDash pay you?
• Doodash pay in popular US cities
• How much do Doordashers make per hour?
• What makes driving for DoorDash worth it?
• How can you maximize DoorDash driver pay?

How much do DoorDashers make?

DoorDash drivers, or “Dashers” as they’re known, have had a very solid year in 2022. Median gross earnings remained at slightly less than $15.00 per hour for the second and third quarters. Dasher hourly pay was a few pennies less than Grubhub, and about $0.50 more than Uber Eats. If a Dasher clocks around 30 hours per week, then the answer to “How much do drivers make a week?” would be about $450, which isn’t bad at all!

How much do Dashers make per month?

When we ask “How much do drivers earn a month?” the answer tells us that not all Dashers are likely to be delivering full time. According to Gridwise data, Dashers made an average of only $223 per month from April to September of this year. That means the average driver was clocking just15 hours per month.

There could be many reasons for this. Many may see Dashing as a part-time gig and they could be using DoorDash as part of a multi-apping gig strategy. Check out this Gridwise post on the art of multi-apping, and you’ll see how that’s done. 

DoorDash would be a good gig for those who benefit from multi-apping, as peak hours are clustered around mealtimes. It’s likely drivers who want to make more per month will engage in other driving gigs or another side hustle to make up the difference. Some might be doing DoorDash only at times when there are plenty of orders.

Doodash pay in popular US cities*

How much do DoorDash drivers earn in NYC?

• On average, DoorDash drivers in NYC earn $12.02 per hour.

How much do DoorDash drivers earn in LA?

• On average, DoorDash drivers in LA earn $16.34 per hour.

How much do DoorDash drivers earn in Chicago?

• On average, DoorDash drivers in Chicago earn $12.20 per hour.

How much do DoorDash drivers earn in San Francisco?

• On average, DoorDash drivers in San Francisco earn $15.49 per hour.

How much do DoorDash drivers earn in Houston?

• On average, DoorDash drivers in Houston earn $10.29 per hour.

*Doordash driver pay data cited is based on median average earnings.

How much do Doordashers make per hour?

The question, “How much do drivers make an hour?”  isn’t really complete until we talk about tipping. DoorDash tips are usually a given. According to Gridwise data, Dashers raked in an average of $7.50 in tips per hour. 

DoorDash tip numbers exceeded those of their food delivery competitors, including Uber Eats, Grubhub, Shipt, and Instacart. Maybe people are more familiar with DoorDash and like the service better, or it could be that Dashers receive more orders per hour than with other services. Either way, it appears that they make some decent cash with customer tips.

The app gives customers a chance to add a tip at the time of the order, and another opportunity once they receive their orders. There has been some controversy around DoorDash’s handling of driver tips. Learn more about the complaints, and how DoorDash addressed them, in this article from entrecourier.com.

How does DoorDash pay you?

The ways rideshare and delivery companies pay structure can be a key factor in their attractiveness to drivers. Dasher pay consists of the following:

• base pay: This is the contribution from DoorDash, which comes from the fee they charge the customer. The DoorDash Driver pay scale ranges from $2.00–$10.00, and is based on the estimated time, distance, and desirability of the order. DoorDash mileage pay can often make a small order seem well worth taking.

• promotions: Drivers can earn extra money on promotions that are offered for various reasons. Most of the time, the company will deploy them to get more workers to drive at peak times. Here are some examples:
  • Peak pay is automatically added to orders when there is a lot of demand. This is the most common promotion you’ll see as a driver.
  • Challenges give drivers the chance to earn more by completing a certain number of deliveries in a set amount of time. These incentives encourage drivers to become more efficient, and ultimately make DoorDash more appealing to customers.
  • Guaranteed earnings are granted periodically, usually communicated by email or SMS, to DoorDash drivers. This offer promises that certain select drivers will earn a set amount of money within a set number of days, not including tips or other offers. 

• tips: DoorDash, as we stated earlier, lets customers leave tips when they check out or after their order is delivered. Drivers keep 100% of their tips. 

What makes driving for DoorDash worth it?

You probably have met at least one Dasher, if not at a party or in a class you both attend, then maybe when they brought your favorite burrito to the door. A lot of people drive for DoorDash, and there are good reasons. Here are a few.

• DoorDash is flexible. While you can schedule time blocks to work, it’s also possible, most of the time, for drivers to “Dash Now.” That means you can turn on the app and orders will come in. This works at peak times as well as when other drivers are less likely to schedule their shifts.
• DoorDash is a leader in the food delivery industry. Even if other companies go out of business, DoorDash will probably still be around. You see it in almost every town, and it serves most if not all restaurants and convenience stores in most areas. See how working with DoorDash vs. other delivery gigs compares in this Gridwise blog post.
• The DoorDash app and website are state of the art. DoorDash takes its business seriously and makes it easy for both customers and drivers to use their software. The app is easy to navigate, and the DoorDash website answers more questions than you could possibly think of.
• DoorDash earnings are relatively high. Although Dashers don’t earn as much hourly income as Amazon Flex, Lyft, or Uber drivers do, they make more than most of the drivers for other food delivery companies.

If you’re in search of more DoorDash driver advice, check out this article from Gridwise aimed at new and seasoned Dashers.

How can you maximize your DoorDash driver pay?

While DoorDash driver pay is somewhat high when compared to other food delivery gigs, no Dasher that wants to make more money will sit back and rest on their laurels. It not only pays to work as hard as you can, you can earn even more when you work “smart.”

What might this consist of? Here are some suggestions:

• Work for bigger tips. Doing more than just “your job” impresses most customers. Not only will you make more money, you’ll get more satisfaction from doing your work to the best of your ability. Read this Gridwise post for more ideas for getting bigger tips.
• Save on gas. When you’re a delivery driver, running up a high fuel bill is inevitable. Take advantage of money saving programs and challenge yourself to drive with fuel efficiency in mind. Here’s advice from Gridwise on ways to save on gas.
• Track your earnings. Get Gridwise and link it to your DoorDash account. Your earnings will be seamlessly recorded and placed into easy to read, informative graphs. Compare your earnings from month to month, or see what other drivers are making.

• Log your expenses. As an independent contractor, every Dasher has to keep an account of expenses such as mileage, fuel, and equipment. Gridwise is the best DoorDash mileage tracker because Gridwise is designed specifically for gig drivers. Not only can you track your total mileage, but for every app you sync with Gridwise, you’ll be able to see how much you’ve driven. 
• Create a winning strategy. Don’t make your driving gig a process of trial and error. With Gridwise features Where to Drive and When to Drive, you can easily see when the peak hours for Dashing are in your area and choose your scheduled blocks or Dash Now option where and when there’s plenty of business to be had.

Gridwise also offers real-time information on weather, events, and traffic, which can save you from getting jammed up. There are also tons of deals and discounts for drivers that will make Dashing a high-earning dream!

Are you looking for more Doodash resources?

• Doordash Incentives 2023: How Do They Work?
• How to Earn $1000 a Week With Doordash
• A Guide to Dashing: DoorDash For New Drivers vs. Experienced Drivers

Download the Gridwise app now!