Gig Economy Jobs: 9 Companies That Pay You To Drive

Whether you just purchased a car or have been driving for a while, you now have a viable option to be your own boss and start working your own hours. According to the Gig Economy Data Hub, more than one in ten workers rely on gig work for their primary source of income. Much of these gig economy jobs often require a vehicle. There are a number of driving jobs available in the gig economy, it’s just the matter of finding the right one suitable for your needs.

In this article, we’ll cover nine companies that are currently offering new applicants a chance to get into a side hustle. The side jobs that require driving and a car are transportation networks, food delivery services, grocery delivery services, and package delivery services.

Lyft is a transportation network that operates in 640 cities the United States and 9 cities in Canada. The Lyft mobile app offers car rides, scooters, and a bicycle-sharing system to its customers.

Lyft is currently available in most states. You must meet requirements to work with Lyft which include a clean criminal record, clean driving record, a valid drivers license, have your own insurance, own a smartphone and be 21 years of age. Also, you must pass a driver’s test with an approved Lyft representative in order to drive for the company. Once you have been approved by Lyft, you can start driving people around in your city.

Lyft compensates workers on a commission basis. You can expect to earn between $10 to $35 an hour. Actual rates will depend on the time of day and demand for rides in the area you are working.

DoorDash is an on-demand food delivery service founded by Stanford students Andy Fang, Stanley Tang, Tony Xu and Evan Moore in their dorm halls. According to Tony Xu from his interview with How I Built This, he realized that dormitories were lacking access to tasty meals and so the co-founders made their business model to cater to hungry college students.

As of 2019, DoorDash serves 28 states and Washington, D.C. DoorDash compensates by commission basis. Workers can earn $15 to $25 an hour.

To apply to deliver for DoorDash, applicants must have a clean criminal record, clean driving record, a valid driver’s license, have their own insurance, have their own vehicle, own a smartphone and be over 18 years old. Additionally, you must be a United States citizen or a permanent resident to apply.

Like DoorDash, UberEats is an on-demand online food order and delivery platform that is a subsidiary of Uber. Launched in 2014, UberEats is available in all 50 states as of this time.

The application process is similar to DoorDash. Applicants must have a clean criminal record, clean driving record, a valid driver’s license, have their own insurance, have their own method of transportation, and own a smartphone. However, applicants must be over 19 years old. Additionally, you must be a United States citizen or a permanent resident to apply.

At this time, UberEats does not disclose what the average earnings are for its workers.

Postmates is an American logistics company that operates a network of couriers who deliver goods locally. As of 2019, Postmates operates in all 50 states.

To apply to deliver for Postmates, applicants must have a clean criminal record, a valid driver’s license, have their own method of transportation, own a smartphone, and be at least 18 years old. Additionally, you must be a United States citizen or a permanent resident to apply. Once you pass the background check, Postmates will send you a free delivery bag and a prepaid card in the mail. You can then start accepting orders from the Fleet app.

Postmates workers report earning from $15 to $25 an hour.

GrubHub is an online and mobile food ordering and delivery marketplace. The company connects diners with local takeout restaurants. GrubHub drivers deliver meals to the homes and workplaces of users.

GrubHub workers can expect to earn anything from $10 and $15 an hour. Additionally, GrubHub workers keep 100% of the tips that they make and create their schedule.

Interested in delivering for GrubHub? To apply to deliver with GrubHub, applicants must have a valid driver’s license, have their own insurance, and have their own cars and smartphone. Additionally, you must be a United States citizen or a permanent resident to apply. Once your application has been approved, GrubHub will send you car decals, warming bags, and GrubHub shirts by mail. From there, you can start accepting orders via their mobile app.

Instacart is a same-day grocery delivery and pick up serivce in the United States and Canada. Shoppers select the groceries that they would like to receive online from various retailers and the order is delivered by an Instacart shopper.

As of 2019, Instacart is available in 26 states. To work at Instacart, you need a clean criminal record, a valid driver’s license, your own insurance, and smartphone to be accepted. Additionally, Instacart Shoppers must be 18 years old or over.

The application for Instacart is simple. All you have to do is fill out the form for Instacart and wait for one of the staff members to review and approve your application. Once approved, you can start delivering groceries.

Rates vary for all Instacart Shoppers, but you can expect to earn $10 to $25 an hour.

TaskRabbit is an online and mobile platform that matches people who are looking for someone to help them with tasks. Taskers can be matched with all types of services including delivering groceries.

TaskRabbit is currently available in all 50 states and sign up is easy. Once you register and are approved to work, TaskRabbit will notify you of potential jobs nearby. Select the one that you want and confirm details with the person you’re helping out. Once your work is complete, submit your invoice, and you’re ready for the next gig.

TaskRabbit charges a platform fee of 30% and compensates workers on a commission basis.

Amazon Flex was launched by Amazon.com to deliver packages on their behalf. The work can be stressful as workers must deliver within the expected delivery timeframe.

AmazonFlex serves all 50 states but is only currently accepting applications for select cities. Also, applicants need a clean criminal record, driving record, their own insurance, and a smartphone to start working with Amazon Flex. As of 2019, Amazon Flex compensates workers on a commission basis and are expected to earn between $18 to $25 an hour.

The application for Amazon Flex is simple. All you have to do is fill out the form for Amazon Flex to see if you are eligible. Once your profile has been approved, you can start requesting ahead of time to schedule for hours to deliver packages.

Shipt delivers groceries, home goods and electronics from big-named brands such as Target, CVS Pharmacy, Smart & Final and more.

The company currently serves all 50 states. To apply and be accepted from Shipt, you must be at least 18 years of age, have a reliable vehicle manufactured in 1997 or newer, have valid car insurance, and a valid U.S. driver’s license. Additionally, you must have an insulated cooler bag, brush up on groceries knowledge, lift over 40 lbs, and have a working smartphone.

The application process is simple but it can take time to qualify depending on the need for deliverers in the area. However, once Shipt accepts your application, workers are expected to earn between $15-$25 an hour.

There are plenty of other side job options available in the gig economy. If you have a car, there are many side hustles to choose from. If you’re more of a handy person, you can also make extra income doing more labor-intensive projects.

Compare your side job options on our page and read others’ experiences and reviews.