One of the reasons gig driving jobs, including DoorDash food delivery, are so convenient is that you can make your own hours. The only set schedule you work is the one you’ve developed on your own, based on your market (because every market is different), your other responsibilities, your other gigs, and your nine-to-five job if you have one. Many gig drivers work multiple platforms, so working the right gigs at the right time for maximum profit is always a delicate balance. If you’re limited to only a few days to drive DoorDash, what are the best days to maximize DoorDash pay?
So when someone asks, “How much do DoorDash drivers make per day?” your response is, “It depends on what day of the week it is.”
Gridwise, though, has looked at the numbers, and we can tell you the best days. They come from over 500,000 Gridwise drivers who have downloaded the Gridwise app and tracked their earnings, mileage, and expenses. Gridwise aggregates and anonymizes this data and then presents it to drivers so that they can see trends in their business. If you want to maximize your DoorDash pay, this is the article you need to read.
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How much DoorDash drivers make daily is not the only barometer of DoorDash earnings, though. There are also per-hour and per-delivery earnings. To look at all facets of DoorDash earnings, see the Gridwise blog post 2023 Doordash Earnings Report. You can also see another perspective of DoorDash earnings from another Gridwise blog post, DoorDash Driver Pay: What Do Dashers Earn in 2023?
How much do DoorDash drivers make per day?
Source: Gridwise Analytics. Graph also appears in 2023 Doordash Earnings Report.
Between Q1 2022, DoorDash gross daily earnings, including tips and bonuses, ranged in average from slightly more than $61.00 to more than $63 per day. The numbers are average and include both full-time and part-time drivers.
How much do drivers make in DoorDash pay across cities per day?
[info to come]
What is the best day to drive for optimum DoorDash pay?
BizFluent reports that Mondays and Tuesdays are the least busy days for restaurant delivery and takeout. Many independent restaurants are closed on one of these days for that reason. Conversely, you can also argue that Mondays aren’t bad because many people are in the doldrums from the weekend, and a delivered meal sounds like a heck of an idea. It depends on your market. And let’s not forget Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football.
The weekends, starting on Friday night, are the busiest days. People like to start their weekend relaxing, and there is no better way to kick that off than with a great meal ordered in. When Saturday rolls around, it’s college games, and then Sunday is NFL day. You can learn more about the impact of football from this Gridwise blog post, The Impact of Pro Football Home Kickoff Games on Gig Mobility Demand.
The women in the house especially appreciate home delivery of meals. USA Today reported last year that 46% of the NFL fanbase is female. That’s even more pressure to open the DoorDash app.
There is one last reveal that you should know. According to SportsBusinessJournal.com, while sporting events dominate the airwaves and attract the most viewers, the president’s State of the Union address is number one. The Academy Awards (held on a Sunday night) comes in fourteenth. Don’t forget those other special events, including the Grammys, The Golden Globes, the Country Music Awards, and others.
Tips for maximizing DoorDash pay per day
Your earnings as a DoorDash driver are in your control. There are things you can do to make food delivery more profitable.
Slice and dice earnings for a better perspective
Daily DoorDash earnings are important, but it is also important to understand earnings from an hourly perspective (what would happen if a special event such as the Super Bowl lengthened the dinner hour?). You also need to ask yourself what it would do to earnings if you could squeeze in another delivery per hour? To get the answer to all these questions, check out the Gridwise blog post 2023 DoorDash Earnings Report.
Determine if DoorDash is the best choice in your city or region
It may not be. DoorDash certainly seems the best choice for a food delivery driver. DoorDash has dominated the food delivery platforms for several years, commanding 65% of the US food delivery market. That’s a far cry from second place Uber Eats, at 24% of the market. The other competitors, including Grubhub, are down in the single digits.
But food delivery is a competitive business and can vary from city to city. DoorDash has less than a 50% market share in San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, according to Ordering in: The Rapid Evolution of Food Delivery, a 2021 report by McKinsey. The report goes on to say,
Geographic competition among delivery platforms will be one of the most significant battlegrounds over the coming years. Rival platforms will continue to fight one another for customers, restaurants, and drivers in each individual market, potentially leading to further consolidation over time. This battle will extend into new verticals beyond restaurants, as platforms widen the scope of services they provide.
Look at the McKinsey report and see if your city is listed and how it looks for market share among the food delivery platforms. Depending on where you live, you might be better off delivering for another service. We should point out that the McKinsey report, dated September 2021, is more than two years old. The market for food delivery is constantly changing.
Don’t look at your DoorDash earnings from one perspective
It is necessary to see DoorDash earnings from a 360-degree perspective to fully understand how you can make more money. An excellent place to start is the recent Gridwise blog post 2023 DoorDash Earnings Report.
It is also important to understand and appreciate all aspects of Dasher earnings. Gridwise examines these perspectives in other blog posts:
- How much do DoorDash drivers earn per delivery?
- How much do DoorDash drivers earn per hour?
- How much do DoorDash drivers earn before tips?
Select the best hours for DoorDash pay
Food delivery is not a 24/7 job. Yes, there are those odd orders at 4:00 in the morning or 3:00 in the afternoon, but you can generally rely on lunch and dinner as your peak times.
| DoorDash peak times | Total hours | Earnings | Comments |
| Lunch (11:30 am–1:30 pm) | 2 hrs. × 5 days a week = 10 hrs. | $200 | Weekends tend to eliminate the business lunch crowd. |
| Dinner (5:00 pm–9:00 pm) | 4 hrs. × 7 days a week = 28 hrs. | $560 | Hours may vary in your region. |
| Late night | 1.5 hrs. × 7 days a week = 10.5 hrs. | $210 | If your territory includes colleges and universities, you’ll get good results in this time block. |
| Totals | 48.5 hours | $970 |
Chart initially published in How to Make $1000 a Week with DoorDash
The afternoon gap or after 9:00 pm is where multi-apping comes in. You can take advantage of afternoon rush hours or late nights by driving rideshare. You can also run two or three platforms simultaneously. Check out the Gridwise blog post on multi-apping, The Art of Multi-apping: How-Tos and Strategies for Gig Drivers.
You can also look at the When to Drive and Where to Drive features on the Gridwise app, which provide you with the most up-date-date information in your region.
If you familiarize yourself with Amazon Flex, you can also squeeze in a delivery block from that company. Check out these recent Gridwise blog posts on the parcel carrier:
Make it easy for customers to tip you
Tipping waiters and waitresses is a US thing (not so much in Europe). Although many tip their food delivery driver, others don’t. You should make it easy for them. Spend a few dollars and have business cards printed, thanking them for their business, and include one with each delivery. You might even include your personal information for a few electronic cash-handling apps—PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, etc. DoorDash passes on 100% of tips to drivers, but some people don’t like to tip on the app.
Be bright and cheerful
You don’t always see the customer, but porch cameras are ubiquitous. You should always consider yourself to be on camera. From the moment you get out of the car, all the way to the door and back, you should exude enthusiasm and good cheer. Smile a lot! Optimism is catching, and people will reward their DoorDash driver for it.
Communicate with customers
Text customers along the way, giving them a running commentary on your progress. “Just got your order on my app, on the way to pick it up.” “Getting out at the restaurant.” “Headed for your place. Three minutes away.” People love communication, which is all the more true if something goes wrong, such as an order that needs correcting (especially if you caught the error) or problems with traffic.
Remember all the condiments
Some restaurants could be better regarding including extra ketchup or mustard. Make sure to drop in additional packets. Drop in an extra handful of napkins and some plastic forks, knives, and spoons. If you’re picking up beef dip sandwiches, ensure someone at the restaurant remembers the au jus.
Familiarize yourself with DoorDash incentives
DoorDash offers you ways to make more money. Learn about Peak Pay promotions, DoorDash Driver Challenges, and the Dash Now program—all described in a recent Gridwise blog post, DoorDash Incentives 2023: How Do They Work?
Download the Gridwise app
Gridwise is the place to go regarding the latest information on DoorDash or other food delivery, rideshare, and parcel delivery gig jobs. Download the Gridwise app and check out the When to Drive and Where to Drive features. You can also save money at tax time using the Gridwise mileage tracker, the best mileage tracker for gig drivers, and the Gridwise expense tracker.
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Get more insights into DoorDash pay from Gridwise
Check out these Gridwise articles to learn more about DoorDash earnings:
