How much do Grubhub drivers make per hour?

Grubhub's own driver site says drivers typically earn about $15-$20 an hour before vehicle costs, and drivers keep 100% of tips. Actual earnings vary by market, time of day, and how many deliveries you complete. After gas and car costs, take-home is often closer to $10-$14 an hour for many drivers.

Do Grubhub drivers keep their tips?

Yes. Grubhub states that drivers keep 100% of the tips from completed deliveries. Your total pay per order combines the delivery pay, the tip, and any bonuses or Missions.

Is Grubhub better than DoorDash for earnings?

Neither is universally better; it depends on order volume in your area. Many drivers sign up for both and run both apps at once so they don't sit idle between orders. Check which app has more orders at your peak hours before choosing one.

Do I have to pay taxes on Grubhub income?

Yes. Grubhub drivers are independent contractors, so you owe self-employment tax (about 15.3%) plus income tax on net earnings, and you generally need to make quarterly estimated payments. Tracking mileage lets you deduct vehicle costs and lower the taxable amount.

How Much Can You Make Delivering for Grubhub? Realistic 2026 Earnings

Grubhub says its drivers typically earn about $15 to $20 an hour, and drivers keep 100% of their tips. That is the headline number. The number you actually take home is lower once you subtract gas, car wear, and self-employment tax. Here is a realistic breakdown.

The gross-to-net math

Say you drive 20 hours a week at $17 an hour gross:

Item	Weekly
Gross earnings (20 hrs x $17)	$340
Gas and maintenance (~$0.30-$0.35/mile, ~150 miles)	-$45 to -$52
Set aside for taxes (~15-20% of net)	-$45 to -$55
Take-home	about $233-$250

That is roughly $11.65-$12.50 an hour after costs, or about $1,000 a month for 20 hours a week. Your numbers will move with your city, car, and hours. A fuel-efficient car in a busy market does much better than a truck in a slow one.

What determines your pay

Base delivery pay: varies by distance, time, and demand.
Tips: customers’ tips are yours in full and are the biggest swing factor.
Missions and bonuses: Grubhub offers Missions, where you hit a delivery goal in a set window for extra pay.
Time of day: lunch (11am-1:30pm) and dinner (5pm-9pm) are the busy blocks. Off-peak hours mean more waiting between orders.

How to earn more per hour

Pick your blocks. Stack the lunch and dinner rushes, and skip the dead time in between.
Decline weak offers. A 2-mile order that pays $3 total is a loss after car costs. Aim for at least $1.50 per mile.
Run multiple apps. Many drivers run Grubhub with DoorDash and Uber Eats at once to cut idle time. Compare earnings in what you can make with Uber and Lyft and Instacart.
Learn your zone. Restaurants near dense apartment areas mean short trips and steady orders.
Chase Missions when they fit. Only take them if they match hours you would drive anyway.

Track mileage and set aside tax money

You are self-employed, so you owe about 15.3% self-employment tax plus income tax on net profit. Two habits protect you:

Track every business mile. The IRS standard mileage rate is a deduction that often wipes out a big chunk of taxable income. Use a free mileage app.
Set aside 20-25% of every payout in a separate savings account for quarterly taxes.

What it costs to get started

You need a car (or bike or scooter in some cities), a smartphone, a valid license, and insurance. Grubhub has a background check requirement, and delivery driving requires auto insurance that may not cover commercial use, so check with your insurer. Our guide to saving on car insurance can help lower the bill.

How Grubhub compares to other gig apps

No single app is best everywhere. Order volume, base pay, and tip culture all vary by city and even by neighborhood. Most experienced drivers treat Grubhub as one app in a rotation rather than their only source of income:

App	Typical gross hourly	Best for
Grubhub	$15-$20	Cities with strong restaurant density
DoorDash	$15-$25	Widest order availability in most markets
Uber Eats / Uber, Lyft	$15-$22	Combining rideshare and delivery
Instacart	$17-$23	Larger orders, higher per-trip pay

Running two apps at once — accepting whichever order comes first — is the single biggest lever most drivers have for cutting idle time between deliveries.

A realistic weekly scenario

Picture a driver working Thursday through Sunday, four 5-hour shifts covering lunch and dinner rushes: 20 hours total, roughly 14-16 completed deliveries, averaging $17 an hour gross including tips. That’s about $340 a week gross, or roughly $1,360 a month before gas, maintenance, and taxes — in line with the $1,000-a-month net estimate above once costs are subtracted.

Who Grubhub works well for

Someone who wants to earn $500-$1,000 extra a month on flexible hours
Anyone trying to hit a goal like a $1,000 starter fund in 3 months
People paying down debt who want a quick income boost, see pay off credit card debt with a side hustle

Who it doesn’t work well for

People with poor gas mileage and no plan to track expenses
Anyone in a market with low order volume
People who need guaranteed income, since Grubhub doesn’t guarantee earnings

Put the money to work

Extra income disappears fast if it just lands in checking. Give it a purpose with a zero-based budget: decide in advance that every delivery payout goes to debt, savings, or a specific goal.

The bottom line

Grubhub advertises $15-$20 an hour, and after vehicle costs and taxes, a realistic take-home is closer to $11-$14 an hour. You can raise it by working peak hours, declining low-paying orders, and running more than one app. Track your mileage and set aside tax money from day one.