People shocked after learning the average wage of an Uber driver
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: Hispanolistic/Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Despite most believing that Uber drivers make a pretty penny, the reality of their earnings has been revealed.
If you have ever had the privilege of taking an Uber through any city centre during rush hour traffic, nobody would hate you for assuming that the drivers make a killing.
However, a conversation on Reddit has got people talking about the realities of how much you can really earn, and it isn't as much as most people think.
Actually, it turns out that earning money as an Uber driver can be really varied, and totally dependent on where and when you choose to work.
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One user on the platform asked whether the rumour that drivers working in the capital can be earning £1K a week, was true.
If so, where do we sign?
But it turns out that whilst making £200 a day could be totally feasible, there's a lot of costs that come with the role.
One replied: "Define 'make'.
"An Uber driver could easily 'take' £200 a day in fares, but you would then have to subtract all of your costs from that - vehicle, tax, insurance, fuel, congestion charge, licensing etc."
Uber themselves have admitted that weekly pay can vary between drivers, but noted that there are certain ways that people can boost their earnings.
This includes things like delivering with UberEats, tips from customers, and driving in areas at busy times.
According to Indeed, a platform where people can report their earnings, it says the national average salary for an Uber driver is £27,305 ($36,205.75) a year.
One Londoner who works for Uber disclosed in a blog post the reality of how much he makes in a week.
He noted that whilst £1K a week was an achievable figure to hit in terms of 'sales', it's not necessarily going straight into his pocket.
He added: "Then comes the hefty 25% commission for the pleasure of partnering with Uber.
"That is £750 a week.
"£39,000 ($51,692.35) a year before expenses. £3,250 ($4,307.70), give or take, a month."
And whilst this isn't a bad living wage in the slightest, when you deduct all the expenses of running a car in the capital, you can end up making just below the living wage.
In London, this equates to less than £11.95 ($15.84) an hour.
It seems as though the 25% cut that Uber takes impacts the employees at the company.
UNILAD have reached out to Uber for comment.