Enter your driving profile

Pick your platform (Uber, Lyft, or both), then enter how many hours you drive per week, your typical trips per hour, and your average fare per trip. Set the platform commission you actually pay — most rideshare platforms take 20–30% of the fare. These four numbers drive your gross earnings.

2

Add your vehicle and fixed costs

Enter weekly miles driven, your vehicle's MPG, and the local gas price to compute fuel cost. Then add your monthly car payment, rideshare insurance, and maintenance budget. The calculator converts these monthly costs to a weekly figure (÷ 4.33) so every line item is on the same basis.

3

Read your real take-home and hourly rate

The result card shows your weekly take-home after commission, expenses, and self-employment tax, plus your true effective hourly rate. Open the Tax Breakdown tab to see how the IRS standard mileage deduction shrinks your taxable income, and the Hourly Rate tab to compare your net rate against minimum wage and see monthly and annual projections.

Weekly gross fares

Gross = Trips/hr × Hours/wk × Avg fare

Your total fares before the platform takes its cut. Example: 2.5 trips/hr × 20 hrs × $14 = $700/week.

Platform commission

Commission = Gross × (Commission % ÷ 100)

Uber and Lyft deduct a percentage of each fare (service fee). At 25%, a $700 gross week loses $175 to the platform.

Fuel cost

Fuel = Miles ÷ MPG × Gas price

Weekly gas spend. Example: 300 mi ÷ 30 MPG × $3.50 = $35/week. More dead miles (driving without a passenger) raises this without raising fares.

Net before tax

Net before tax = Gross − Commission − Fuel − (Car + Insurance + Maintenance) ÷ 4.33

Monthly fixed costs are divided by 4.33 (average weeks per month) to convert them to a weekly figure before subtracting.

Self-employment tax

SE tax = max(0, (Earnings after commission − Mileage deduction)) × 0.9235 × 0.153

Drivers are independent contractors and owe 15.3% SE tax (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare) on net profit. The IRS standard mileage deduction (Miles × $0.67, the 2024 rate) is subtracted first, and the remaining base is multiplied by 0.9235 before the 15.3% rate is applied.

Written by Calculover Editorial Team Updated 2026-05-30 3 sources Methodology & limitations

Editorial accountability

Author: {{^authorProfileUrl}}Calculover Editorial Team{{/authorProfileUrl}} - Personal finance & gig-economy calculators

Owner: Calculover Editorial Team - Content accuracy & review

Last reviewed: 2026-05-30

Last verified: 2026-05-30

Data effective: 2024-01-01

Methodology

Weekly gross fares are computed as trips/hour × hours/week × average fare, then reduced by the platform commission percentage, fuel cost (miles ÷ MPG × gas price), and weekly-converted fixed vehicle costs. Self-employment tax uses the statutory 15.3% rate on 92.35% of net earnings after applying the IRS standard mileage deduction of $0.67/mile (2024 rate). Federal and state income tax are intentionally excluded because they depend on total household income.

Assumption: The driver is an independent contractor (1099) and pays the full 15.3% self-employment tax rather than employee FICA.

Assumption: The IRS standard mileage deduction is used instead of actual vehicle expenses, and all entered miles are deductible business miles.

Assumption: Monthly fixed costs are spread evenly across 4.33 weeks per month.

Limitations & guidance

Does not calculate federal or state income tax, which depend on total household income, filing status, and other deductions.

Excludes tolls, phone/data, vehicle depreciation beyond the loan payment, and unpaid waiting time between trips.

The mileage rate and SE tax thresholds change annually; verify the current year's figures with the IRS before relying on the result for tax planning.

Professional guidance: This calculator is for informational and educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, financial, or accounting advice. Tax rules change and individual situations vary — consult a qualified tax professional and current IRS guidance before making decisions based on these estimates.

Primary sources

IRS — Standard Mileage Rates

IRS — Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes)

IRS — Gig Economy Tax Center

Gross fares Total passenger fares you bill before the platform's commission or any expenses. Measured per week in this tool. It is not the money that reaches your bank account.

Platform commission The percentage Uber or Lyft keeps from each fare (service fee). Typically 20–30%; this calculator defaults to 25%. Higher commission directly lowers your gross take.

Self-employment (SE) tax A 15.3% federal tax (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare) that independent contractors pay on net business profit, in place of the FICA an employer would normally split. Applied to 92.35% of your net earnings.

Standard mileage deduction An IRS rate (≈$0.67 per business mile in 2024) you can deduct instead of tracking actual car expenses. It reduces the income your SE and income tax apply to. You choose either the standard mileage rate or actual expenses — not both.

Effective hourly rate Your weekly net take-home (after commission, fuel, vehicle costs, and SE tax) divided by hours driven. This is the number to compare against other job options — it is usually far below your gross hourly fare.

Dead miles Miles driven without a paying passenger — heading to a pickup or repositioning between trips. They consume fuel and add wear but generate no fare, so they quietly lower your effective hourly rate.

🕐

Part-time evening driver

20 hrs/week, $14 fares

Hours / week 20 Trips / hour 2.5 Avg fare $14 Commission 25% Miles / week 300

Gross is $700/week. After $175 commission, $35 fuel, and ~$150 of weekly vehicle costs, net before tax is about $340. Self-employment tax of roughly $46 leaves about $294/week take-home — an effective rate near $14.70/hour, well below the $35/hour gross fare. Fuel and the car payment are the biggest drags.

💼

Full-time driver, both apps

40 hrs/week, more miles

Hours / week 40 Trips / hour 2.5 Avg fare $14 Miles / week 650 Insurance / mo $200

Doubling the hours roughly doubles gross to $1,400/week, but miles, fuel, and insurance also climb. The larger mileage deduction keeps taxable income low, yet the effective hourly rate lands close to the part-time case — proof that driving more hours mostly scales the same margin rather than improving it. Reducing dead miles per trip is what actually lifts the rate.

Gross fares are not pay. By the time Uber or Lyft takes its commission, you buy gas, cover your car payment and insurance, and set aside self-employment tax, your real take-home can be less than half of what the app shows. This calculator turns your driving profile into a true weekly take-home figure and an effective hourly rate so you can decide whether the hours are worth it.

How the Rideshare Driver Earnings Calculator works

The tool works on a weekly basis. Gross fares are trips per hour × hours per week × average fare. From that it subtracts the platform commission (a percentage of the fare), fuel (miles ÷ MPG × gas price), and your monthly car payment, rideshare insurance, and maintenance — each divided by 4.33 to convert it to a weekly amount. The result is your net before tax.

It then estimates self-employment tax. Because drivers are independent contractors, they owe the full 15.3% Social Security and Medicare tax on net profit. The calculator first applies the IRS standard mileage deduction (about $0.67 per mile for 2024), multiplies the remaining base by 0.9235, and then by 15.3%. Subtracting that tax gives your weekly take-home, which is divided by hours to produce the effective hourly rate.

Inputs and what they mean

Trips per hour and average fare together set your earning power — small changes here move the result more than anything else. Commission defaults to 25%; check your weekly summary for your real rate. Miles per week and MPG drive both fuel cost and the mileage deduction, so a thirsty vehicle hurts twice. The monthly fixed costs (car payment, insurance, maintenance) are sunk whether you drive 10 or 40 hours, so spreading them over more hours lowers their per-hour drag.

Limits and edge cases

This is an estimate, not tax preparation. It models self-employment tax only — it does not calculate federal or state income tax, which depends on your total household income, filing status, and other deductions. It assumes the standard mileage deduction is the better choice (usually true for high-mileage drivers, but compare against actual expenses). It does not include vehicle depreciation beyond your loan payment, tolls, phone and data costs, cleaning, or the value of unpaid waiting time. For a binding tax figure, consult a tax professional and the current IRS guidance.

How much do Uber drivers make per hour?+

Gross fares often look like $25–$40/hour, but after the platform's 20–30% commission, fuel, vehicle costs, and 15.3% self-employment tax, real take-home for many drivers lands roughly between $10 and $20/hour. The exact figure depends on your market, fares, miles, and vehicle. Enter your own numbers above to see your effective hourly rate rather than the headline gross.

Do Uber and Lyft drivers earn different amounts?+

Earnings depend mostly on your local market, fares, and trip volume rather than the badge on the app. Both Uber and Lyft take a commission in a similar 20–30% range. Many drivers run both apps at once (the 'Both' option) to cut idle time between requests, which raises trips per hour and improves the effective hourly rate. The math in this calculator is identical for either platform — only your commission and fare inputs change.

How are gig economy taxes calculated for drivers?+

Rideshare drivers are independent contractors, so no taxes are withheld. You owe 15.3% self-employment tax (Social Security + Medicare) on your net profit, applied to 92.35% of that profit, plus regular federal and state income tax on top. The IRS standard mileage deduction (about $0.67/mile in 2024) is the biggest lever for lowering taxable income, so keep a mileage log. Most drivers should set aside 25–30% of net earnings and pay quarterly estimated taxes.

Is driving for Uber worth it?+

It depends on your effective hourly rate after all costs. If the Hourly Rate tab shows you clearing well above local minimum wage and other job options, the flexibility can make it worthwhile. If it shows a rate near or below minimum wage, the main culprits are usually high dead miles, a low-MPG vehicle, or expensive fixed costs. Try adjusting those inputs to see what would move your number most.

Can I share or save my results?+

Yes. The calculator encodes your inputs into the page URL, so clicking Share copies a link that reproduces your exact scenario for a friend or your accountant. Your inputs are also saved to your browser's local storage, so the calculator remembers them the next time you visit.

Line Item	Weekly	Annual
Gross fares	$700	$36,400
Less: platform commission	−$175	−$9,100
Earnings after commission	$525	$27,300
Less: standard mileage deduction	−$201	−$10,452
Taxable net (SE tax base)	$324	$16,848
SE tax base × 92.35%	$299	$15,559
Self-employment tax (15.3%)	−$46	−$2,381

Rideshare Driver Earnings Calculator

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your driving profile

Add your vehicle and fixed costs

Read your real take-home and hourly rate

Formula & Methodology

Trust, Methodology & Sources

Key Terms Explained

Real-World Examples

Part-time evening driver

Full-time driver, both apps

Understanding the Rideshare Driver Earnings Calculator

How the Rideshare Driver Earnings Calculator works

Inputs and what they mean

Limits and edge cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Rideshare Driver Earnings Calculator

Result

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your driving profile

Add your vehicle and fixed costs

Read your real take-home and hourly rate

Formula & Methodology

Trust, Methodology & Sources

Key Terms Explained

Real-World Examples

Understanding the Rideshare Driver Earnings Calculator

How the Rideshare Driver Earnings Calculator works

Inputs and what they mean

Limits and edge cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep Exploring

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