Is Uber Eats worth it in 2024? I’ve been delivering for Uber Eats for nearly a decade and things have changed a lot during that time. In general, I think Uber Eats is still worth it, even as more drivers get onboarded and things get more competitive. That being said, whether Uber Eats is worth it for you mainly depends on a variety of factors, including where you live, what type of vehicle you’re using, and whether Uber Eats is a full-time or part-time gig for you.
I will say that whether or not Uber Eats is worth it for you, I still think it’s worth signing up if you can, primarily because there isn’t any real downside to getting signed up with Uber Eats. Even if you don’t plan to do many Uber Eats deliveries, it’s good to be signed up so you can use it if/when you need it.
With that background out of the way, in this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the question of whether Uber Eats is worth it, looking at the most important factors that will determine whether Uber Eats is worth it for you.
Is Uber Eats Worth It?
Whether Uber Eats is worth it for you depends primarily on four factors. Here’s what will matter the most for most people.
1. Where Do You Live?
Probably the most important factor that’ll determine whether Uber Eats is worth it will be where you live (or, more importantly, where you will work). Uber Eats is available in many markets and while you can earn decent money anywhere, you’ll likely be able to earn the most in a major city.
The best places to work are dense neighborhoods in large cities. This is where you’ll likely find the most customers ordering Uber Eats, as well as the most popular restaurants. The distances you’ll have to travel here are also usually shorter, since in dense neighborhoods, customers will live closer to the restaurants they’re ordering from.
Uber Eats does operate in smaller cities and towns and while there are some advantages to working in these places, for the most part, you’ll still have more customers and higher demand in bigger cities. The main advantage of a smaller, less busy area, is that there may be fewer Uber Eats drivers to compete against. But that advantage, in my view, is mitigated by the lower demand for Uber Eats in those areas due to fewer customers and restaurants.
The best situation to do Uber Eats is if you live in a dense neighborhood of a large city, making it possible for you to work close to home and potentially not even have to leave your home to get delivery requests. I live in a dense neighborhood in Minneapolis, so Uber Eats works well for me because I can turn on my Uber Eats app while I’m sitting on my couch and wait for delivery requests to come in. Once I find a good one, I can head out the door and start my shift. This saves me commuting time, which allows me to maximize my earnings. When I’m done for the day, I can also easily return home without having to travel a long distance.
2. What Vehicle Are You Using?
The largest expense you’ll have when delivering for Uber Eats is your transportation expenses – so the vehicle you use will matter a lot. Most people will opt to use a car when delivering for Uber Eats. If you’re going to drive, your main expenses will be fuel, potential parking or traffic tickets, maintenance, and depreciation on your vehicle. As a result, you want to pick a vehicle that’s reliable and fuel-efficient so you can save as much money as possible on fuel and maintenance (here’s a post I wrote on some of the best cars to use for Uber Eats).
Depending on your situation, an electric car can be a great option. I own a Chevy Bolt EV, which can provide me with up to 250 miles of range on a full charge. That should be plenty of range for most people to deliver for a full day. An EV like my Chevy Bolt comes with a lot of advantages since I don’t have to worry about paying for gas and the maintenance on my car is fairly light.
Of course, an EV isn’t going to work for everyone, so if you’re using a traditional car, opting for a hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle will be your best bet. A Toyota Prius is the top choice when it comes to good hybrids. Affordable, reliable normal cars like the Toyota Corolla are also excellent options that are low maintenance, fuel-efficient, and can maintain their value.
While most people will opt to use a car, I hate driving and think it’s an inefficient way to deliver for Uber Eats. Instead, I opt to use an ebike or electric scooter. Using an ebike or scooter makes it so I can do my deliveries faster. I also don’t have to worry about gas, traffic, or parking. And maintenance on my ebikes and scooters is low. Overall, I make more money delivering with an ebike or electric scooter and I reduce my expenses, which means more profit for me.
If you’re interested in seeing how Uber Eats deliveries work with an ebike or scooter, check out my YouTube channel.
3. Are You Doing Uber Eats Full-Time Or Part-Time?
Another factor that will matter when it comes to whether Uber Eats is worth it is whether you’re delivering for Uber Eats full-time or part-time.
If you’re delivering full-time, I think Uber Eats is less worth it, mainly because it can be difficult to make a full-time income with Uber Eats in some places. The other issue with doing Uber Eats full-time is that there are a lot of times during the day when it’s slow since people mainly order food during lunch and dinner hours. While you can make a full-time income as an Uber Eats delivery person, it’s not always easy and it puts a lot of pressure on you to keep working so you can maintain your income.
Delivering for Uber Eats part-time, on the other hand, is well worth it for most people, especially if you live in a city and can complete your deliveries using an ebike or scooter. If you live in a neighborhood where you can receive Uber Eats deliveries while you’re at home, that’s even better, since you’ll save time commuting.
The big advantage of delivering for Uber Eats part-time is that you can concentrate your work time during the busiest, highest earning hours. By working during the busiest hours, you’ll maximize your hourly earnings.
I deliver for Uber Eats part-time and can often average $30 or more per hour by working only during the lunch and/or dinner rush. If I spread my time out during the in-between hours when things are slow, I’d earn far less on an hourly basis.
4. What Phase Of Life Are You In?
Finally, whether Uber Eats is worth it depends a lot on the stage of life you’re in. Uber Eats is well-suited for college students, for example, since many college students have free time on their hands and can use the extra money. Even better, most college students tend to live in dense areas that are busy and well-suited for Uber Eats. The fact that you don’t need a car to deliver for Uber Eats is great too, especially since many college students don’t have a car.
People who need flexible schedules are also well-suited for delivering food with Uber Eats. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, for example, you would do well with Uber Eats since you can log into the app when your schedule allows. If you have a full-time job, Uber Eats works well too because of the flexibility that comes with it – you can deliver for Uber Eats outside of your day job when you have free time.
I used to be a full-time lawyer, and Uber Eats was a great, fun side hustle. It also provided me with a sort of therapeutic benefit. My job was stressful, but I enjoyed biking around and delivering food in my spare time. It was nice that I made extra money doing it, but often, delivering for Uber Eats wasn’t even about making extra money – rather I did it because it was a form of stress relief.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Uber Eats is still worth it for many people, even as earnings drop and more people sign up to deliver for Uber Eats. As a full-time gig, I’d probably recommend against it, but for a side hustle, I think Uber Eats is great, especially if you live in a city and can do your deliveries with an ebike or scooter.
Consider the above four factors when deciding whether it’s worth it for you. For many, I think they’ll find Uber Eats is worth it.
This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- SoFi Money ($325) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $300 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Upgrade ($300) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $300 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $300 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($800) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- Fifth Third Bank ($200) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
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