Is Doordash worth it as a side job?

Before accepting any job or even making an application for one, it’s always important to make a proper analysis.

Not only does it set your expectations right, but it’d also affect your workflow and before all of this, give you a good headstart on whether the job would be good for you or not.

If you’re someone that does this and looking to join Doordash, this article covers the factors that can and not make it worthwhile for a side job.

Is Doordash worth it as a side job?

For most people who want an easy-going, independent, flexible work, and still want to make money—at least above the minimum wage—DoorDash is worth it, whether as a side job or a full-time job

Starting from the income potential, on average Doordash drivers earn around $15.55 per hour in the united states, according to Indeed.

There are also chances this could go above $25 as we’ve seen in the past.

Editors note: This is just an average. For instance, during lunchtime where the rate of orders is at its peak, drivers make way above the average (up to a range of 1.5× to 2×). But at other times of the day, they may make less

In a week? Drivers earn anywhere from $500-2000 (or even infinity) depending on how much work they put into it – just like most businesses, the amount of time is proportional to your earnings.

Quite, good, at least for a side hustle.

But most importantly, all this (income potential) depends on the location. Some locations might overpay while others under-pay. So, it’s all about you testing things for yourself.

And secondly, you need to be aware of the overhead expenses, as they’re not subtracted from the pay-per-hour we submitted earlier.

Now, these are pretty basic (not something new) and they’re listed below:

Gas – You need to buy gas, while you Doordash daily. As we explained in our article that approached whether Doordash is worth it after gas or not, this can take around 10% to 25% out of your monthly income.

Car maintenance cost – Maintenance costs like regular oil changes, tire rotations, brake replacements, and other necessary maintenance are important to keep your car running. The costs can vary widely depending on your vehicle’s make and model. AAA estimates that maintenance costs averaged 8.94 cents per mile for new vehicles as of 2021.

Insurance – As a delivery driver, your personal auto insurance may not cover accidents that occur while you’re working. You may need a commercial auto insurance policy or a personal policy with a business use endorsement, which may cost more than a personal-only policy. On AAA, this is about $15 per month. But do you actually need this? Our article on delivery insurance talks more about this

Depreciation Value – This is the reason people usually prefer to get older cars which would barely depreciate at a fast pace – a good idea, as long you’re able to get a car that won’t give you a headache in the future.

Editors Tips: While buying the idea of getting an older car, also put in the fuel efficiency of the car into factor. You don’t want to get a car that drains fuel more than average. In fact, fuel-efficient cars on the higher end like Prius are usually the most advisable for Doordash

Other factors that influence whether Doordash is worth it as a side job or not

As we’d always say, a business can be worth it for many, and not for some others. Not everyone is the same.

Hence, to accurately tell whether Doordashh would be a go for you, you need to factor in a couple of things. Let’s take a look at them.

Flexibility:

Flexibility is one factor that makes a good side hustle. And Doordash isn’t a left out in this area.

You begin work when you actually want to, have no boss shout at you and can give yourself vacation when you want.

Basically, you get the pleasure of working as an employer of yourself, while on Doordash, making it a perfect side hustle.

However, regardless of this flexibility, if you’re not ready to put in the work, you may not earn as much as you think

The ROI:

Before wrapping up the idea of signing up for Doordash, you may need to make a proper analysis.

Do you have some other work opportunities that could work well as a side hustle? What’s their base pay per hour? Do they have the same flexibility? Do they come with overhead expenses, as we see on Doordash?

The goal is to make sure choosing Doordash as a side hustle is the right choice for you.

Location:

Not something most people want to hear, but yes, your income potential can be affected heavily by the location you reside.

This is one reason you find people on one end say Doordash is a good business and others, otherwise.

For instance, locations saturated with wealthy people are more likely to tip generously than others. You may also get more orders in populous locations, as a Doordash driver, than in underpopulated areas.

There are always exceptions to this, however.

But to be honest, you can’t tell all these things if you don’t get started yourself.

Wrapping up

Is Doordash worth it as a side job? Definitely, as long as you’re ready to put in the work and are okay with a job earning up to an average pay per hour of $15.