Uber
HR&A conducted an independent study for Uber Technologies analyzing rideshare driver net earnings in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Portland and benchmarking those earnings against comparable occupations in each market. Our comprehensive analysis revealed that across all three cities, Uber driver net earnings ranged from $21.29 to $23.01 per hour after costs.
Rideshare work has become a substantial employment sector, with over 55,000 monthly Uber drivers in Chicago alone, yet questions remained about how driver earnings compare to traditional employment after accounting for expenses. HR&A developed a rigorous methodology to calculate net earnings by analyzing gross earnings alongside detailed cost assessments that distinguished between incremental fixed and variable expenses for both vehicle owners and renters. We weighted these figures based on actual driver and vehicle type distributions to create representative per-mile and per-hour cost estimates that could be meaningfully compared against wage data.
HR&A benchmarked driver earnings against comparable occupations with similar educational requirements and barriers to entry. The analysis found smaller earnings gaps between full-time and part-time rideshare drivers than in traditional jobs, offering insight into how rideshare work fits within today’s labor market.
