HOW MUCH CAN YOU EARN DRIVING UBER IN AUSTRALIA
The best part is that there are no formal education and interview requirements to work and earn as an Uber driver in Australia. Driving with the Uber app offers a flexible earning opportunity. It’s a great alternative to driver jobs or seasonal employment.
Estimate earnings
We estimate earnings using data from Melbourne drivers who drove in the past four weeks. It's particularly difficult to predict driving patterns due to COVID-19, so your actual earnings may greatly differ from estimates.
A$1,975 / week
(includes A$25 in tips)
How much do Uber drivers earn in Australia, by state?
Splend has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Canberra. Therefore, our customers are reporting slightly different earnings in each state. Below is a breakdown of the earnings in each of the major cities.
In Sydney and Melbourne, some drivers who drive Splend cars on a subscription plan earn up to $1,500 - $2,000 per week driving Uber, earning $40+ per hour at peak times including the weekends.
In Brisbane, some drivers earn over $35 per hour at peak times including the weekends, making up to $1,250 - $1,500 per week with Uber.
In Perth and Adelaide, some Splend customers earn up to $1,000 - $1,500 per week with Uber, earning $30+ per hour at peak times including the weekends.
Generally speaking, the busier the area you're driving in, the more money you'll make. However, it's also more profitable if you do longer journeys. If your rides are mostly short, you'll spend more time waiting on trips and less time making money.
Top tip - airports are where Uber drivers can boost their profits and make most of their money. If you Uber near a busy airport and are looking to get your day off to a good start, head there first. There are lots of flight tracker apps that let you track incoming passengers, so you know exactly when passenger demand is high.
Your Uber vehicle
To maximise profits, you want a car that's cheap to run. Look for a vehicle with good mileage to keep fuel costs down. Hybrids are really popular with Uber drivers because they're cheap on fuel, plus they often have automatic transmissions installed, making for a more comfortable ride.
You also want a car that's cheap to repair if something goes wrong. Vehicles from manufacturers such as Toyota, Skoda and Kia are good on mileage and are affordable in Australia. Because you're clocking up so many kilometres as an Uber driver, your car will depreciate in value quickly, so don't invest a lot in a new or high-end vehicle.
Your strategy
Lots of drivers only work during rush hour, bank holidays and at night on the weekends to make Uber driving as profitable as possible. For many, working at off-peak times might not be worth it. This is because you risk spending most of your time waiting around, earning nothing.
To make the most of Uber driving, it pays to know the area you work in. Popular areas of the city for nights out, airports and the CBD are all prime spots for ridesharing services.
One of the biggest things experienced Uber drivers mention is to look out for surge pricing. These are multipliers that increase your earnings at busy times. Uber also runs promos that could boost your earnings. Uber mentions there's an algorithm for surge pricing, so once you figure that out, you could make way more money per trip. Once an area starts surging, heaps of other Uber drivers are probably going to make a beeline for that area, so staying ahead of the curve is important.
Higher-end services like UberXL and UberSUV can make a lot of money as well. Once again, it pays to know the area you're working in and whether there's a demand for a more expensive and luxurious service.
Other Uber drivers blend ride-sharing with Uber Eats food deliveries to maximise their income and to stay busy, even during lulls in passenger requests. One Uber driver even said sometimes the food orders are within walking distance from the restaurant, so you can park the car and make your way on foot.
Staying on top of your expenses is also the best way to work out how profitable Uber is for you.
What expenses do I need to take into account?
Becoming an Uber driver has its fair share of expenses that can eat into your weekly pay:
Car loan repayments
Is your car under finance? You'll need to take your car loan repayments into account.
Insurance
Uber requires you to have compulsory third party (CTP) and third party property damage cover. However, you might want a higher level of cover. You need to make sure your insurer covers rideshare use. Get quotes from Uber and rideshare car insurers. You'll need to factor in the cost of this cover.
Petrol
This will be relative to how many hours you work, your car's fuel economy and how much you use your car outside of Uber. You can only claim for what you use while working.
21 авг 2024