Start with realistic city averages, then make the numbers your own. Every figure explains where it comes from so you can decide if gig work adds up for you.

Your scenario at a glance

How to use this page

1. Pick your market

Choose the app, city, and vehicle that match your plan. We preload the local averages for you.

2. Decide which costs count

Toggle on fuel, upkeep, insurance, phone, loans, and extras so the math reflects your real bills.

3. Check take-home pay

Read the hourly and weekly summaries to confirm your plan meets your income goals.

Build Your Driving Plan

App you're working on

Platforms preload pay rates, utilization, tips, and average driving speed so the calculator immediately reflects how that app typically behaves in the selected city.

City you'll hustle in

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We cover the major metros in every state so you can baseline quickly—pick the closest big city if your exact hometown isn’t listed.

What you're driving

Vehicle presets load MPG or kWh efficiency plus maintenance, depreciation, and tire wear so operating costs line up with the kind of car you actually drive.

Hours you expect to be logged in each week

We cap this at 168 hours (the full week) so the math stays believable.

Pay per busy hour ($)

This starts with the app's average in your city. Bump it up or down if you know your lane.

Time actually on a trip (%)

We guess an average for your app. Think of this as time with a rider/order versus waiting.

Tips (% of busy hour pay)

Use a realistic tip share from your past runs. This feeds directly into gross pay before we account for idle time.

Estimated income tax (%)

Use the combined federal and state percentage you usually set aside. If you’re unsure, start with the preset so you don’t under-save.

Estimated self-employment tax (%)

Most U.S. gig workers pay about 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare. Adjust if you’re already paying those taxes through another job.

Use my own driving exposure numbers?

Leave it off to lean on platform averages. Turn it on when you want miles, fuel, or charging costs to reflect your own experience.

When this stays off, we use the typical miles, gas, and charging costs for your app and city.

Total miles per working hour

Includes paid miles plus repositioning. Lower miles mean less wear and lower fuel spend.

Include vehicle depreciation?

Checking this spreads the long-term wear of your car across every mile so you’re saving for the next ride.

Show wear & tear costs?

Toggle off for barebones math. Toggle on to budget for upkeep and tire replacements.

Turn this on if you want to budget for oil changes, brakes, and tire swaps instead of counting only fuel.

Maintenance (cents / mile)

These cents-per-mile figures come from national averages.

Tires & wear (cents / mile)

Capture tires, wipers, fluids, and surprise shop visits. Even a few cents per mile adds up fast.

Include insurance?

Count your rideshare-friendly policy here so you’re setting aside enough for coverage.

Flip this on when you want your monthly insurance premium covered by your gig earnings.

Include phone & data?

Most drivers dedicate a plan to gig work—count it so you’re covering navigation, hotspots, and wear on your device.

Turn this on if navigation, hotspots, and phone wear should be part of your hourly rate.

Include other weekly costs?

Think car washes, parking, tolls, snacks, and anything you cover out-of-pocket to stay on the road.

Great for rolling in parking, snacks, car washes, or any other weekly out-of-pocket extras.

Do you have a car payment?

Turn this on if you bought (or plan to buy) a car specifically for gig work so the payment is covered by your hourly take-home.

Great when you want your lease or loan covered by the hours you plan to work.

What This Adds Up To

Net take-home, cost breakdowns, and weekly benchmarks update in real time.

Take-home Focus

Quick glance at what actually lands in your pocket after every cost and tax you’ve toggled on.

Net take-home per hour

Net take-home per week

These totals already include every cost or tax toggle you've turned on, so you can trust them as bring-home pay.

Hourly Snapshot

See how each hour breaks down—from gross pay to fuel, upkeep, and taxes—so you know what you spend to earn.

Gross pay per hour

Variable cost per hour

Fixed cost per hour

Operating profit per hour

Estimated taxes per hour

Weekly Outlook

Double-check that your plan covers weekly bills, taxes, and miles before you hit the road.

Hours planned

Gross pay per week

Total costs per week

Operating profit per week

Estimated taxes per week

Miles driven per week

Hourly Story

Walk through every step so you can explain the math to yourself, a partner, or anyone you’re budgeting with.

Gross hourly (with tips)
Variable costs each hour
Fixed costs each hour
Money left before taxes
Estimated taxes per hour
Net take-home per hour

IRS Standard Mileage Gut Check

IRS mileage rate (2025 assumption)
IRS cost per hour
Profit if you used the IRS rate

These are planning numbers, not tax advice. Treat anything labeled with the lightbulb icon as our best average until you replace it with your truth.