Working as an Uber Eats delivery rider can be a great option if you are looking for a flexible full-time job, or even if you’re just looking for something to do on the side.

Not only can you work whenever you want, but you can also choose how long you want to work. As an additional bonus, you can take time off whenever you want. But the question is, what about the salary?

In this blog, we will be breaking down and running through the average Uber Eats salary in the UK and tips on how to increase your earnings further.

So without further ado, let’s get into it - shall we?

First things first, if you want to start delivering for Uber Eats you will need to understand how the payment works. As a rider, the amount you earn will be dependent on a few factors such as:

• Pick-up fee: Every time you go to a new restaurant.
• Drop-off fee: For each separate order you deliver.
• Per-mile rate: For the total distance from pick-up to drop-off.
• Per-minute rate: Total/average time that it takes to complete an order.

At the time of writing, the average salary of a delivery rider for Uber Eats is £10.65 per hour in the UK. However, this can vary from anything between £7-20 according to a survey by Indeed.

Based on a 37.5-hour week spread over five days, at £10.65 per hour, you should make, on average, £18,144.30 take home per annum. On the other hand, if you work this same shift pattern at £20 per hour, on the other hand, equates to £30,542.40 take home per annum*.

The reason the amount you earn from Uber Eats can vary so dramatically is that there are a variety of factors that impact how much you earn. This includes location, time of day (eg. peak times, rush hour), and areas in high demand - as we’ll explain in detail below…

*Please note that if you do find yourself earning less than the national living wage for your age bracket, Uber Eats has promised to top up your wages.

There are a few ways in which you can try to increase your income as a delivery rider, such as:

Signing into the Uber Eats app around meal times and rush hour can increase your chances of getting more delivery requests and, therefore, more money.

Uber Eats also tends to prioritise giving orders to riders who are in the area with the most restaurants, so it is definitely worth taking a look at where the best spots are to park up and wait for orders.

Uber Eats offers a ‘Boost feature’ designed to help couriers better plan their week and maximise payments. With Boost, multipliers can be applied to your fare in specific areas at peak times.

In the Uber Eats app, cities are split into different zones via a Live Map. Here, you’ll be able to see the current boosts for each zone to help you position yourself in the best places at the best times. You can also see the Boost applied to your fares in real time.

The busier the pickup area, the higher the Boost rate will be. This means that couriers using the Boost feature will make more money per delivery when demand is expected to be higher. To help you plan ahead, you can check what Boosts are coming up by checking the Promotions Hub in your app.

Batched orders allow you to deliver two orders from the same restaurant at the same time. While this type of order allows you to make more money - you’ll also notice some differences in the payment details for these deliveries.

For example, the batch discount is equal to one pickup fee. So, two orders together only require one pickup which will appear as a batch discount on the payment statement. Adding to this, the mileage fee you receive for the second delivery will be paid for the distance between the first and second drop-off locations.

When orders are slow, it is definitely worth considering having apps such as Deliveroo and JustEat running meaning you will have less time waiting around for orders and more time out on the road earning money. This is also a way to pick and choose which orders will benefit the most.

Since COVID, UberEats now utilise the feature of sending a photo once your order has been delivered to its destination. This can stop the few who try to refund the orders claiming they haven’t received their order.

Other ways you can improve customer communication is by keeping them updated when you arrive at the restaurant and then again when you have picked up their order, this way you can keep them in the loop and you may even receive some thank you tips in return!

As we mentioned above, getting tips from customers is another way you can increase your income as a delivery driver. Uber Eats customers can give tips over the Uber Eats app, making it easier to receive money in an increasingly cashless society.

Tips can also be added by the customer up to 7 days after the delivery and you can track your tips in the Earnings tab of the Uber Eats app. You can cash out your tips immediately after you’ve received them, and even better, Uber Eats doesn’t apply a service fee for tips so you’ll receive 100% of any received.

When it comes to Uber Eats payments, there are a few different ways in which you can receive your payments.

Firstly, you can choose to get paid weekly with direct deposits straight to your bank account. It is worth noting that each weekly pay period begins on Mondays at 4am and will end on the following Monday at 3:59am, so any payments made after these times will be added to your next week's wage.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to wait a week to get paid, you can either choose to receive your earnings within two days, or in an instant. The two-day cashout feature (previously known as Flex Pay) means you can cash out before 2pm Monday-Friday to receive your payments within two days.

Lastly, the Ubereats app will also allow you to cash out your earnings immediately with the Instant Cashout feature. You can do this up to five times a day, every day to access your earnings quicker - the choice is entirely up to you!

Before deciding to become a courier rider for Uber Eats, there are a few unavoidable outgoing costs you will need to consider such as:

If you intend to become a delivery rider, you will need to find a specialist delivery rider insurance policy to ensure you are properly covered on the roads. Failure to have the correct insurance cover in the event of an accident may mean that you would be responsible for the accident and could be liable for all costs involved whether that be to the person or/and their vehicle.

Again, if you intend to deliver food on your motorcycle or moped, you will (obviously) need to fuel it. Riding about all night will mean that your fuelling costs will start to add up, so it is advisable that you keep a note tracking how much you are spending versus earning.

Another thing that is worth noting is that if you do choose to deliver on an electric bike, you will need to keep your eye out for tactically placed electric charging points to keep yourself topped up throughout a busy night delivering.

Riding your bike around will result in you racking miles up fairly quickly, and the more you use your motorbike, the more maintenance you will need to do to it. Whilst an MOT, servicing, and road tax is needed every single year, again these are costs you need to consider when they’re coming straight out of your take-home wage packet.

If you’re ever unsure as to if your bike is taxed and has a valid MOT, a great way to check is via the GOV.UK website!

When you’re riding about all day, you will need to make sure you have a phone package that will cover you enough to send an unlimited amount of texts and calls, as well as being able to access the internet at all times. Being able to communicate with your customers and keep them informed will help you to build up your rating and again might even help you get yourself some extra tips!

When you sign up to become a delivery rider for Uber Eats, this will mean you are considered to be self-employed and will need to register yourself to HMRC and submit a tax return form at the end of each year.

If you do not complete this form or forget to do it at the end of each tax year, you can be charged and even face a prison sentence, so if you know any accountants - you’re best off getting in contact sooner rather than later!

In Feb 2021, following a five-year legal battle, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers were entitled to workers’ rights. This means that Uber drivers are entitled to holiday pay, and a pension scheme - receiving no less than the UK minimum wage.

At the time of writing, all riders for UberEats are eligible for National Living Wage so if you find yourself in a situation where you earn less than the NLW, UberEats will promise to top you up each week (usually on Mondays) followed by a separate payment of any earnings guarantee owed to you, which you will see in-app on Tuesdays.

However, even if you do earn over the National Living Wage, you will still be able to keep all of your earnings that week - this under no circumstance will be taken or deducted from you!

*For more on Uber Eats payments, please head over to the Uber Eats FAQs page!

So there you have it - I hope you enjoyed our full guide on Uber Eats earnings!

Before we go however, as we mentioned previously if you want to become an Uber Eats rider you will need to have the correct insurance - You’ll be pleased to know that we here at Lexham can provide you will a specialist delivery rider insurance quotation!