Is Doordash Worth it after gas?

Maybe you’re having second thoughts about joining Doordash, after hearing people complain about gas prices and the hefty consumption you may need for your daily deliveries.

Fair enough, it’s worth researching.

In this article, we’ll take you through what you need to know about whether Doordash is worth it or not after gas.

Is Doordash worth it after gas?

Yes. For most people, Doordash is worth it even after deducting expenses on gas as well as other related charges for car maintenance.

At first, it may not seem like it, due to how drivers complain.

It may also not seem like Drivers earn much due to the cost of what they usually deliver (usually in tens and even less).

Editors note: the actual reason dashers as well as delivery drivers always make complaints on the internet is due to low or no-tipping practices by customers. But why should they? Well, the food delivery industry relies so much on tipping already – this is because of the poor base pay by companies in the industry. Hence, tipping is more of a complimentary fee for orders, rather than not. You can read our article where we explained this in detail, here.

And when you do the calculation for gas, it may seem like nothing.

But here’s the truth…

People still make money, dashing, and just about most food delivery companies. Basically, the whole thing depends on how much work you’re ready to put in, your location, and your experience.

For this person, he makes over $35 to $40 per hour. Quite good, if you ask me.

While the other person makes $23 to $28 per hour, on average.

One thing you can figure out from these two screenshots is how their earnings per hour vary. In fact, the average earnings per hour of Doordash drivers by indeed is $15.5

So why?

This is because, on DoorDash, a lot of factors play into how much you can earn. This includes your location, the time of day you choose to work, the demand for deliveries, the number of orders you can complete in a given time frame, and the distance you have to travel for each delivery.

Customer tips also significantly influence your earnings, and these can vary widely.

So you might not really be able to tell how much you can make if you don’t start.

And to determine whether it’s worth it for you, you may need to compare it to your current job or other feasible job opportunities. Questions like, “does it worth my ROI?” “Can I do this for a long time?” “is it worth my time?” are what you need to ask yourself.

For instance, if you plan on being the next Elon Musk ;), Doordash may not be a long-term job. But for an average Joe, or if you need a part-time job, Doordash works well.

Editors note: To compare Doordash’s ROI with any job, you need first-hand experience (with a maximum of 1 month) to accurately tell, and not anything you find on the internet. This is because,

So what happens when we factor in gas?

To accurately answer this question, we took an experiment a few months ago on Reddit, asking drivers how much they made and how much they spend on gas weekly.

This gave us a range of 10% to 25%, depending on the location of the user and a couple of other factors which we’d be discussing in the next section.

In essence, you get about 90% to 75% of your total earnings after deducting your car’s gas consumption.

So is this worth it?

Because, of course, it should be a personal question.

General Factors that Contribute to whether gas is worth it or Not on Doordash

Without much ado, here they are:

The type of vehicle you use:

Some vehicles are keen to use more gas than others, per same trip. This is where a fuel efficiency of vehicles comes in.

For instance, you’re less likely to spend on Hybrid or electric cars (which are fuel efficient), than would you’d do with a vehicle with a lower fuel efficiency such as an SUV or an old model car.

Moreover, the type of vehicle also influences maintenance costs. Older vehicles or those in poor condition may require more frequent repairs and maintenance, which can add to your overall expenses.

This is the reason why the Toyota Prius is one of the most recommended cars for Doordash and food delivery due to its low fuel consumption.

Your location:

The location you dash says a lot about how successful of a dasher you’d be.

For instance, Dashers within locations with high demand would earn more, obviously. Also if customers in your location always tip well, your income potential also gets higher.

Now, the type of order you get is also important – it could be influenced by location and also plays a big role in how much fuel you consume per order.

Take, for example, if you consistently get orders from grocery stores, you’re likely to consume less fuel than when you always get orders from private restaurants.

This is because the distance is relatively small and less complicated with grocery stores than the latter.

Final Thoughts

For most people, Doordash is worth it, even after gas. However, as we’ve always said, it depends and varies between people. So you might just need your own experience to accurately tell.

FAQ

How much do Doordash drivers make after gas?

On average, Doordash drivers earn around 75-90% of their earnings subtracting gas from their income. Hence, they spend up to 25% at the upper end for gas, depending on their location.