How Much Do Grubhub Drivers Make?

Now is a good time to try some of the top food delivery jobs and Grubhub is one of the top food delivery apps to consider.

But the question on everyone’s mind is, how much do Grubhub drivers make?

Well, Grubhub drivers can earn $12-13 an hour, although the more proficient you become at driving, the more you can earn.

Whether you have a bike or car, GrubHub offers drivers a reasonable payday. Like many other food delivery apps, GrubHub allows you to choose when and where you drive to pick up orders.

Below, RSG contributor Chonce Maddox-Rhea breaks down what you need to know about Grubhub driver pay and how to maximize your earnings.

What is GrubHub?

GrubHub is one of the many food delivery platforms that are out there. The platform allows restaurants that don’t have delivery drivers the option to get their food to customers.

GrubHub has been around since 2004 and is headquartered in Chicago. Grubhub’s portfolio of brands includes Seamless, AllMenus, and more.

Whether or not Grubhub is in your city depends on the strength of its competitors – in most cases, DoorDash and Postmates are direct competitors. We recommend you sign up for multiple food delivery apps in order to see which one is the most profitable in your city.

How Much Does GrubHub Pay Drivers?

Grubhub’s base salary for drivers accounts for factors including mileage, delivery type, time spent delivering, and your local market.

Drivers do get an idea of how much they will earn prior to accepting an order. This does include a tip that the customer gives prior to delivering the food, but they can always add one on after as well.

Drivers get to keep 100% of their tips!

Drivers can wait for their weekly direct deposit or they can request an instant cash out. Direct deposits are sent to bank accounts on Thursdays. There is a $0.50 fee each time you use instant pay. The fee is waived if your checking account is with Chase.

GrubHub Pay Model
GrubHub Pay Model

GrubHub Scheduling

GrubHub drivers have a few options in terms of setting an efficient schedule They can either schedule the hours they want to work in advance or just turn on the app and start driving.

Other delivery apps like DoorDash prefer you to schedule ahead of time.

Still, flexibility is what makes these delivery jobs more worthwhile, so it’s nice that GrubHub lets you decide when you want to drive, even if it’s a last-minute decision. You could just be sitting at home and decide that you want to try and make some money. It’s great that you can just turn on the app and see if orders start coming through.

GrubHub Recognition Program

GrubHub recognizes drivers who go above and beyond on the platform. The better your stats, the more opportunities you’ll have to earn money.

There are three levels Partner, Pro, and Premier:

Grubhub Driver Levels
Grubhub Driver Levels

Partner is the level for drivers that are just starting out, but just after 20 orders that can change. GrubHub updates levels weekly, and that update is based on delivery stats over the last 30 days.

Here are the stats GrubHub looks at to determine your driver level.

  • Attendance Rate: Percentage of the time slots (blocks) you schedule in advance and actually attend.
  • Acceptance Rate: Percentage of orders you accept.
  • Block Drop Rate: Percentage of the blocks you schedule in advance but end up dropping before or during the time you previously scheduled.

Tips to Maximize Your Grubhub Pay

1. Drive During Peak Hours

There are certain times of day when drivers can increase earnings. Sometimes the app will offer drivers a few dollars more to drive during busy times or “peak hours” of the day. The amount all depends on the market that you drive in.

This bonus is a way to motivate drivers to get out and lend a helping hand during a busy time frame while making extra money.

2. Use a Map App to Drive More Efficiently

Consider using a map app like Waze to help you enter multiple stops in the event that you are doing 2-3 deliveries at once. This will help you stay organized and deliver all your orders on time. In terms of tracking your mileage, you may want to use an app like Mile IQ or Stride

You may not feel like driving on days when the weather is bad. However, you can make good money though, as some customers tip better. They may feel you deserve more for delivering their food in the rain or snow.

Plus, think about it. Most people are not going to want to run out in the rain or snow to pick up their food so there will likely be more orders coming in through the app.

3. Get Familiar with Local Restaurants

Another thing you’ll want to do is get familiar with restaurants in your area. If you know that a particular restaurant takes a long time to get orders ready, and you typically sit in the restaurant for 20-30 minutes, reject the order request when it comes through so you can get another request that is more reasonable regarding your time.

4. Sign Up to Drive with More Than One Food Delivery App

Also, don’t forget to diversify the apps you’re using. Consider trying GrubHub with other restaurant delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats to increase your profits. You will likely have less downtime when you can log into another app when one of them is not as busy.

Is Grubhub Pay Worth It?

Grubhub is pretty clear and straightforward with how much drivers can make. Even though your base rate can vary depending on your market, the good news is that you can keep all your tips and there’s the opportunity to earn bonuses.

Consider using GrubHub along with other food delivery apps to maximize your earnings. We like DoorDash and Postmates, although you can earn even more with big grocery orders using apps like Instacart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cash out instantly with Grubhub?

Yes, you can cash out instantly with Grubhub. There is a $0.50 fee each time you use instant pay, but the fee is waived if your checking account is with Chase.

Do Grubhub drivers keep all of their tips?

Yes, Grubhub drivers get to keep 100% of their tips.

What is the Grubhub Recognition Program?

There are three tiers to the Grubhub Recognition Program:

  • Partner – just starting out
  • Pro – medium tier
  • Premier – highest level

Partner is the level for drivers that are just starting out, but just after 20 orders that can change.

Here are the stats GrubHub looks at to determine your driver level.

  • Acceptance Percentage
  • Attendance Percentage
  • Block Drop Rate

Both Premium and Pro level drivers are given the option to select catering orders, which opens the door to larger orders with a bigger chance for tips. They also give drivers 1st and 2nd dibs on new blocks added to the platform.

How can I earn more driving for Grubhub?

The best ways to earn more driving with Grubhub are to follow these three important tips:

  1. Use a map app to drive efficiently and get to your destinations quickly
  2. Get familiar with local restaurants and decline orders from restaurants that take forever
  3. Sign up to deliver with more than one food delivery app (we also recommended DoorDash or Postmates)

Who pays more, Uber Eats or Grubhub?

While Grubhub provides a mileage earnings breakdown, Uber Eats does not, so it’s hard to say exactly who pays more. Uber Eats pays different rates depending on which city you drive in. However, since Uber Eats is usually more well-known than Grubhub, Uber Eats drivers report being busier than Grubhub drivers.

Uber Eats drivers also say tipping on the Uber Eats app is better than on any other delivery app. For that reason, Uber Eats pays more than Grubhub.