Yes, you can make $500 in a day with Uber. But it will require a lot of strategic planning and hard work. Several factors will determine your daily income driving Uber, such as location, tips, driving time, etc.
Due to all these factors, you might be wondering whether Uber is profitable. There is no definite answer, as it depends on your preferences and circumstances. Here, we discuss how you can make $500 a day with Uber and the factors that determine your daily income.
Can you make $500 a day with Uber?
It is possible to make $500 daily with Uber, although this might require you to work long hours. You will also have to work in busy areas where it is easy to find passengers and ensure you take full advantage of the surge hours when pricing increases. Even with that, there is a need to deliver top-notch service and earn tips from customers to supplement the base fare.
Uber drivers’ opinions
There are diverse opinions among Uber drivers about whether making $500 in a day is possible. Some drivers have reported making almost $500 in a day or even more in a day. One driver made $450 after working ten and a half hours, while another made $995 two nights after working 19 hours.
However, most drivers reported making only $500 on special days such as Halloween, Rugby World Cup, Gay Pride, major concerts, snowstorms, etc. Others noted that the location enabled them to make this much, such as the weekend driver in a college town. The general opinion is that making that much in a day will only happen rarely and not a daily occurrence.
Average earnings of Uber drivers
Uber Drivers earn an average income of $17.44 to $19.10 per hour. This is merely the national average, and there are locations within the country where drivers make more than that per hour. But given that this is the average earning, anyone looking to make $500 in a day with Uber will have to make far above the average.
| LOCATION | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| New York | $30,274 | $37,102 | $44,602 | $54,402 | $63,234 |
| San Francisco | $32,027 | $39,402 | $47,502 | $57,902 | $67,371 |
| Kentucky | $24,239 | $29,702 | $35,702 | $43,602 | $50,795 |
Factors that determine Uber driver’s income
Several factors determine the earnings of an Uber driver. They include:
Location
Uber charges 25% on all fares, but the fares can differ from one location to another and by miles covered. This means the amount each driver makes can be very different. Drivers in cities such as San Francisco and New York City are higher than in Connecticut or Kentucky, for example. Even within the same city, location still matters. Those in the city centers will generally make money as they get higher demand.
Tips
While Uber collects a percentage of the fare, everything you get from tips is 100% yours. So, getting tips is one of the best ways to supplement your earnings.
Combining rides with delivery
Another way to earn more with Uber is to combine rideshare with delivery through Uber Eats. It is possible to offer the two services, switching between them based on demand. This allows you to make more money and still earn even during slow periods when there is no ride demand.
Promotions
There are also promotions from Uber that allow users to earn more money. The most popular is Surge Pricing, an increase in demand that leads to price spikes. You can always see the Surge areas marked red on your map. Besides this, there are other promotions, such as Quests and Boosts.
How to make $500 driving Uber? Tips for higher income
By now, you know it’s not easy to make $500 daily by driving Uber. But many people have been able to do it, and they offer advice on how they pulled it off. We have condensed the ideas into the following tips.
Work during busy hours
If you want to make $500 a day, you must work during busy hours when rides are in high demand. The timing varies from one location to another. So, you need to identify when surge hours are in your city. It could be weekends, evenings after the close of work, during special events, etc.
Target areas with high traffic
Even during surge hours, the demand is never the same across all areas. So, targeting high-traffic areas and staying within such zones is important. This is usually the city center. The essence of working in high-traffic areas is that you don’t have to wait for long before seeing your next ride and can easily complete your target.
Prioritize safety and customer service
When driving an Uber, you need to drive as safely as possible and ensure that your riders get the best customer service. Customer service doesn’t entail doing anything special, just efficiency and politeness. Good customer service will earn you tips from customers, and you’ll need tips if you want to make $500 daily.
Complete more rides
This might seem like an unnecessary tip to include, but it is something to pay attention to. The more rides you complete, the more you earn. But canceling rides can also affect your ability to get more rides. Uber penalizes drivers for high cancellation rates by enforcing a timeout or deactivating the account.
Don’t accept long rides into the countryside
One mistake you should never make when driving Uber is accepting long rides that take you out of the city. The pay might be tempting, but they are usually not worth it because you don’t have a passenger when returning. So, you end up wasting time and gas on such rides.
The bottom line: Making $500 a day with Uber is possible, but it will require long hours and strategic planning
If you’re looking to make $500 in a day, driving an Uber is one of the ways you can consider. But it is not as easy as it sounds, given the average income. Still, it is possible to make it occasionally when all the conditions are right. Even then, you will have to work long hours and be strategic.
For additional information on how you can manage your income and save more money, check our selection of 12 ways to save money and live better.
About the Author: Nathan Rivers
