Gig work

Uber and Lyft Earnings Calculator

Rideshare pay has to cover more than gas. It also covers maintenance, the extra insurance, and all the time you drive empty between fares.

Last updated June 2, 2026

This calculator includes dead time and vehicle costs so the net hourly rate is honest.

When to use this calculator

  • You drive for Uber or Lyft and want net hourly after dead miles.
  • You evaluate rideshare against delivery apps on the same vehicle costs.
  • Surge screenshots look good but your week feels thin.

Inputs you need

  • Fares per hour, tips, dead time percent, miles per hour with and without riders.
  • Gas, maintenance, rideshare insurance premium, weekly hours.

Expenses people forget

  • Miles driven without a passenger.
  • Airport queues and repositioning.
  • Cleaning and faster vehicle depreciation.
  • Tax reserve on net profit.

Your numbers

Example values are shown so you can see how it works. Replace them with your own.

Estimated net monthly income
$778
  • Gross monthly income$1,364
  • Estimated expenses- $392
  • Estimated tax reserve- $194
  • Net monthly income$778
  • Net hourly income$11.98/hr
  • Annualized estimate$9,335
  • Miles per month1,429 mi
  • Vehicle and insurance- $392
Weak
Not attractive unless your costs are lower

Your net hourly rate is below what most simple hourly jobs pay. This only makes sense if your real costs drop or the work has another payoff.

Suggested next steps

  1. Track one real week of income and costs, then re-enter the actual numbers here.
  2. List every cost you might be ignoring, including supplies, fees, and wear on your car.
  3. Test a higher price or a faster workflow before adding more hours.
  4. Move a share of each payout into savings, debt, or an emergency fund so the hours actually count.

Estimates only, based on the numbers you enter. Nothing is saved to the page address. Tax figures are rough planning numbers, not filing advice.

Assumptions this calculator makes

  • Dead time reduces fare pay, since you are not paid to drive empty.
  • Vehicle cost combines gas, maintenance, and an insurance premium.
  • The tax reserve is a rough planning number.

This is an estimate, not advice

Every result here is a rough model based only on the numbers you enter. Sidequity is an informational tool and does not provide professional, tax, legal, investment, or financial advice, and it makes no income guarantees. Any tax set-aside is a planning placeholder, not a tax calculation.

How to interpret the result

Dead time and miles are the two biggest hidden costs in rideshare.

If net hourly is low, more hours will not fix it, better hours and lower miles will.

What this calculator does not know

  • Accidents, deactivation, or market saturation.
  • Whether your insurer covers period 2 and 3 the way you assume.

Common mistakes

  • Ignoring miles driven without a rider.
  • Forgetting maintenance and depreciation on high-mileage driving.
  • Leaving out the rideshare insurance premium.
  • Assuming surge pay is normal.

Suggested next steps

  • Read is Uber/Lyft worth it before you scale hours.
  • Compare uber-vs-lyft if you multi-app.
  • Track mileage for gig work with a simple log.

Estimates only. Not tax, legal, or financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is this affiliated with Uber or Lyft?

No. It is an independent estimator. Use your own market figures.

What is dead time?

Time spent online with no passenger, driving to pickups or waiting. You are not paid for most of it, so it lowers your real hourly rate.

Why is rideshare hard on a car?

High mileage accelerates wear and depreciation. Including maintenance per mile reflects that real cost.

Does this include taxes?

Only a rough reserve. Rideshare is self-employment income, so confirm your real tax with a professional.

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Uber and Lyft Earnings Calculator last updated June 2, 2026. Back to all calculators.