The news keeps getting better and better for gig drivers. It used to be that rideshare was the highest-paying gig job. But now there’s something that pays even better, according to numbers from Gridwise. When was the last time you looked at working for Amazon Flex?
How much do Amazon Flex drivers make? Are you sitting down? In 2022, for the entire year, taking in an Amazon Prime Day and the holiday season, Flex drivers averaged $39 per hour. For the first quarter of 2023, without the benefit of the major Amazon buying events, drivers are averaging $36 an hour.
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at earnings for Amazon delivery drivers and reveal some tips to help you get there. Topics we will cover include
- How much do Amazon Flex delivery drivers make?
- What more do you need to know about Amazon Flex?
- How does Amazon Flex work?
- What kind of rewards does Amazon Flex offer?
- Other useful tips for Amazon Flex?
- Don’t forget Gridwise.
How much do Amazon Flex drivers make?
There are two types of Amazon delivery drivers: Amazon Fresh and Amazon Flex (there are additional types of Amazon Flex deliveries, which we’ll discuss later). Amazon Fresh is the delivery service of Whole Foods, which Amazon owns. Some drivers do one or the other, or they blend the two. Gridwise reports numbers from a combination of Amazon Fresh and Amazon Flex drivers.
According to reports by drivers, Amazon Flex delivery driver salary is more reliable and predictable. Drivers sign up for blocks of deliveries, listed on the app with how much they will pay, so drivers know how much they’ll earn. There are occasional tips from customers with Amazon Flex, but they are minimal.
Because of the demographic of Whole Foods customers (higher income households), tips often run toward the upper end, but they are still less predictable.
How much do Amazon Flex drivers make per week? Amazon Flex says on its website that drivers make between $18 and $25 an hour. Let’s look at earnings Gridwise has collected for 2022 and 2023.
Amazon Flex compensation 2022–2023 comparison
| Measurement | 2022 | 2023 |
| Gross earnings/month | $1,026 | $971 |
| Tip earnings/month | $237 | $228 |
| Total hours/month | 26 | 27 |
| Work miles/month | 505 | 520 |
| Per hour earnings | $39 | $36 |
Based on per-hour earnings, Amazon Flex driver pay is in the upper reaches of gig driving jobs.
Did you notice the other interesting piece of information? Drivers work about 27 hours a month. This makes Amazon Flex jobs a great side hustle to supplement your nine-to-five job or as a part of your overall mix of gig-driving work.
Keep in mind that these numbers represent the median of Amazon Flex drivers. Some drivers work two or three blocks a week. Others work as many blocks as they can get. The highest-performing Amazon Flex drivers can make $1,000 a week.
What else do you need to know about Amazon Flex?
According to the Amazon website, Amazon Flex operates out of more than 100 cities in the US. They are always recruiting someplace—all of which are listed on their website. As of this writing, they are looking for drivers in
- Altoona, PA
- Champaign/Peoria/Springfield, IL
- Columbia/Jefferson City, MO
- Franklin/Highlands, NC
- Idaho Falls, ID
- Williamsport–Montgomery, PA
If you are in another region of the country, you may be able to get on a waiting list for Amazon Flex jobs.Things change daily.
Driver Requirements
In addition to living in a region where Amazon Flex is active, to become a driver you must
- be 21 years or older
- possess a valid driver’s license
- have a mid-sized or larger vehicle
- own an iPhone or Android smartphone
- have proof of car insurance (Amazon has a policy for covering Amazon Flex drivers, but you need to read the fine print; it may not cover all your driving activities for Amazon Flex)
- pass a background check
Getting Paid
A nice thing about Amazon Flex jobs is that, like most gig-driving apps, you get paid directly into your bank account electronically, but Amazon also allows you to indicate which day you want to get paid. Since most gig-driving jobs pay on Wednesday or Thursday, this allows you to schedule Amazon Flex pay at another time of the week to float you over the hump. Another option to consider is to route the funds into a separate account that’s off-limits except for retirement or vacation savings.
How does Amazon Flex work?
Once you become an Amazon Flex driver, download the app, if you have not done so already. You get work by reserving blocks of deliveries from a warehouse (you indicate which warehouses you want to work from). Amazon Flex determines how long the block will take, ranging from three to six hours. The app also lists the pay you will receive for that block. If a block is deemed a four-hour block, you receive the full compensation listed, even if you complete it in three hours. Conversely, you normally don’t receive extra pay if it takes you seven or eight hours.
The Warehouses
Amazon generally runs two types of warehouses. One is the warehouse that serves regular Amazon and Flex drivers. These facilities put a priority on the regular Amazon drivers. Flex drivers are allowed in afterward.
The other warehouses service Amazon Flex drivers only. Experiment with both types of warehouses to determine which makes better sense for you.
When looking at warehouses, you want to focus on those close to your home. This cuts down on mileage, and you are more apt to get a block that is geographically close to you. If you choose a warehouse farther away, your delivery areas will also be farther away from your home.
The Deliveries
Sara Elizabeth, an Amazon Flex driver and producer of YouTube content (and also a Gridwise user), says that each warehouse is different. Some direct the drivers to get in line, driving one at a time into the warehouse to get their load, and they’re out. Others direct the drivers to special parking. The drivers walk into the warehouse, get their block of packages in a rolling cart, and bring it to their car for loading. Sara also adds that specific blocks are not reserved for you. Instead, if you have signed up for a three-hour block, Amazon gives you a cart from the three-hour line. The exact location of your deliveries is arbitrary.
Sorting
The Amazon Flex app lists your deliveries in order. Take a few minutes before you start your deliveries to sort the packages (check out the many YouTube videos to see how drivers do this). Sorting saves you time later. Each delivery includes special instructions (a code for the gate, leaving the package behind the planter, etc.).
Undeliverables
At the end of your shift, you might have packages that are, for whatever reason, undeliverable. These must go back to the Amazon warehouse where you picked them up, either at the end of your shift or before 10:00 am the following day.
Scanning
Amazon Flex requires a lot of scanning. You scan your packages at the warehouse and scan them again when they are delivered. Amazon Flex drivers do everything through their mobile phones. It’s not rocket science, but it is detail oriented.
Types of Deliveries
As an Amazon Flex driver, these are the common deliveries you will get.
Amazon Locker. This goes to an electronic Amazon locker, usually in front of a retail location. These are easy. One stop, and you might get rid of a dozen packages. You scan the package through the app, and a door opens. Place it inside, close the door, and make sure it is locked, and you’re on to the next delivery.
Amazon Prime. These deliveries go to businesses and homes. They are always time-sensitive. Prime members are the meat-and-potato customers for Amazon, and the company urges drivers to take extra care when they get an Amazon Prime delivery block.
Prime Now. Like Amazon Prime, these are time-sensitive. Most deliveries from Prime Now come in bags instead of boxes.
Merchant Pickups. Most Amazon delivery drivers collect packages from Amazon pick-up stations. Sometimes, however, you’ll need to pick up the item directly from a retailer. Amazon Fresh falls into this category. All these deliveries should be ready to pick up when you arrive; you don’t have to do the shopping.
What kind of rewards does Amazon Flex offer?
Each time you make a delivery, you receive a point toward Amazon Flex Rewards. Occasionally, Amazon Flex will have specials where you earn extra points. As you amass points, you unlock different levels.
Check out this table explaining points and rewards:
| Reward Level | Level 11–649 points | Level 2650–2,999 points | Level 33,000–6,499 points | Level 46,500–plus points |
| Amazon Flex debit card | ||||
| Cash back on fuel and EV charging | not eligible | 2% | 4% | 6% |
| Cash back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Cash back on all other purchases | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Preferred scheduling | ||||
| Delivery preferences | Preferred station or warehouse, day of the week, time of day | Preferred station or warehouse, day of the week, time of day | Preferred station or warehouse, day of the week, time of day | Preferred station or warehouse, day of the week, time of day |
| Time to choose and schedule deliveries | 10 min. | 15 min. | 20 min. | 30 min. |
| Discounts | Discounts on fuel, tires, auto maintenance, dining, apparel, and more | |||
| Expense & mileage tracking | Tools to track mileage and expenses | |||
| Insurance | Access to the Stride app for low-cost health, dental, and vision coverage | |||
Surge Pricing
You will also see surge pricing. These are typically blocks Flex drivers reserved, but they were either a no-show or canceled at the last minute. Surges also happen when a regular Amazon driver calls in sick. Either way, these surges often include a 25% to 100% premium on a block. Watch a YouTube video titled How I Make $1,000 PER WEEK as an Amazon Flex Worker–PART TIME to learn how to boost your Flex earnings.
Other useful tips for Amazon Flex
Some additional knowledge will make your life easier as an Amazon Flex driver.
- Get a free mileage tracker to log your Amazon Flex shifts by downloading Gridwise. Gridwise’s free mileage tracker tracks your miles so you can deduct every mile possible during tax season.
- Sync your Amazon Flex account with the Gridwise app to get a full picture and better reports about your earnings
- If your area has highway and bridge tolls, keep extra change on hand, or get an EZ Pass. Otherwise, you’ll waste time stopping at convenience stores for a soda and a roll of quarters.
- You might have several deliveries in one building. Keep a collapsible wagon or dolly in your car so you can take multiple packages at once.
- Packages can weigh upwards of thirty pounds or more. Make sure you can handle the weight.
- The challenge to making Amazon Flex profitable is in getting the best blocks. Many veteran Amazon Flex drivers use bots and automation tools, downloadable as apps that link to your Amazon Flex account and will pick blocks for you. For a full explanation, watch this YouTube video by Gig App Chad.
- You can use a truck for deliveries, but Amazon will likely require that the bed is covered. You can get a tonneau cover for your truck and quickly install it. These covers cost anywhere from $200 to more than $2,000. Check out https://tonneaucovershub.com/ for a full review of covers. Some of the models on the lower end of the price range will do a good job keeping packages dry and safe from the elements.
- If you run multiple driving gigs, you can finish with Amazon Flex, then move on to rideshare. Boxes and bags can be dirty and dusty, though. You should use seat covers when you are driving for Amazon Flex. Remove them in a snap, and your car is clean for rideshare. At the most, you’ll have to vacuum the car.
Interested in getting more info on driving for Amazon Flex? Check out these articles:
- Should Gig Drivers Try Delivering for Amazon Flex? What Are Flex’s Perks?
- 13 Tricks to Earn More as an Amazon Flex Driver
- Amazon Fresh: a Ripe New Delivery Job for Gig Drivers
And have fun out there!
