Is DoorDash a good side hustle? Breaking down pay, hours, and competition

With the cost of living steadily increasing and wages failing to keep up, many individuals are turning to supplementary income outside of their jobs to help get ahead financially.

Starting an online business is an attractive option for some, but it carries inherent risk, the most notable being that there’s no guarantee to make money.

This is why side hustles that offer guaranteed pay are the most reliable way to make money outside of your job, and with the gig economy thriving today, several options and platforms have emerged.

DoorDash is one of the better-known examples of a platform that presents a good opportunity for a side hustle, and it’s especially known for its accessibility and ease of making money right away.

In this article, we will review how DoorDash stacks up compared to other side hustles and money-making opportunities. 

Let’s start with a quick overview of what it is and how you can get started.

What is DoorDash? 

DoorDash is a food delivery platform that has risen greatly in popularity in recent times, particularly during the pandemic when ordering takeout was at times a necessity.

Founded in 2013, it’s one of the longest-standing companies of its kind, helping to pioneer the now thriving gig economy. Despite competition, it still boasts a massive 45% of the market share in the US food delivery market.

The platform allows independent delivery drivers, known as Dashers, to sign up and start earning money whenever they want to, as long as there are deliveries available.

Here are some key metrics about DoorDash that can give you a quick overview of how the platform stacks up as a potential side hustle:

As you can see, DoorDash is an easy-to-start side hustle with a decent income potential that can be earned on a flexible schedule.

How do I become a Dasher?

Signing up as a Dasher is a straightforward process. The first thing you need to do is check if you meet the requirements, which are as follows:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Smartphone with the DoorDash app downloaded
• Valid driver’s license
• Proof of insurance
• Method of transport
• Clean background check

If you meet these requirements, you simply need to make an account with them and go through the signup process that you can find either on their app or their website.

Once you’ve completed the application, you’ll need to wait for your background check to go through. The average time for this will be anywhere from 3-7 business days, and in some rare cases, it could take up to two weeks.

Additionally, depending on the demand and amount of current drivers in your current market, you might be subject to a waitlist. So, on top of waiting for the background check, you might also have to wait until there’s room for you to join.

For these reasons, it’s important to know that although it’s easy and relatively quick to get started with DoorDash, you can’t expect to earn money immediately with them. If you need money urgently during your waiting period, you can explore other side hustles that might make you money faster in the meantime.

How much do DoorDash drivers make?

On average, DoorDash drivers report making anywhere from $15-30 per hour before accounting for expenses.

However, it’s important to know that DoorDash driver income can vary greatly depending on several factors, including the market location, demand, and the amount of tips you receive.

Therefore, it’s hard to put an exact number of how much you will earn in your specific location and situation, and you’ll only be able to find out once you try. 

It can be a good idea to ask around either in person or on online forums to see what drivers in your area are making, and what strategies they might be using to make more money.

Regardless of what market you’re in and how much you should expect to make, it’s always important to consider the necessary expenses that are associated with the job, which include gas, insurance, and vehicle maintenance.

In terms of payment, DoorDash makes it easy to get your money fast.

If you need your money right away, you can pay a fee to have your earnings transferred immediately to your bank account, otherwise, you can opt for weekly direct deposits for no fee. 

Signing up for their payment card, known as DasherDirect, will give you the option to get your wages faster and for free in 24-48 hours. You’ll only be able to spend using your DasherDirect card, but it acts just like any other regular debit card.

Read: How much does DoorDash pay? Real-world earnings revealed.

How does being a Dasher work?

Here’s a quick summary of what you should expect in terms of work as a Dasher:

Setting your availability

• You can choose to set your status as Available, in which case, you will be open to receiving orders
• You can pause your Availability or mark yourself as Unavailable at any time, but if you’re in the middle of an order, you still need to complete it

Accepting and declining orders

• If an order comes in and the app decides you’re the best driver, you’ll see the order pop up on your screen
• The order shows all of the important details, including:
  • Guaranteed minimum pay
  • Restaurant location
  • Delivery destination
  • Estimated time and total distance for completion
• You will have a limited amount of time (around 30 seconds) to review the information to decide whether or not you want to accept or decline an order

Making deliveries

• Once you have accepted an order, directions will guide you to the pickup location first, then the dropoff location
• You can’t cancel an order after you’ve picked it up
• Canceling an order after accepting it is possible, but doing this too much will affect your driver rating
• During busy times, it’s possible to get stacked orders on top of current orders, so be mindful when accepting these to make sure you remain on time

Paying attention to your driver rating

• Your app will track a number of metrics, including your acceptance rate, completion rate, and how timely you are
• Customer rating has the strongest influence on your star rating, which is out of 5
• You need to keep a minimum acceptance rate of at least 70%, a completion rate of at least 95% and a customer rating of at least 4.7 in order to stay on the app
• If you fall below standards or get too many bad reviews, you could risk account suspension or even a complete ban

Promos and other incentives

• Peak pay:
  The most common promotion that DoorDash offers is Peak Pay, an additional dollar amount that ranges from +$1 to +$5 per delivery on top of the standard guaranteed base. This will come regularly during the most busy times.
• Challenges:
  DoorDash has a Promos tab that you can review to see what challenges might be available, which usually mean completing a certain amount of deliveries within a specific timeframe, resulting in a bonus that might range from $30-$100. You get pay from Challenges immediately upon successful completion.
• Referral bonuses:
  DoorDash has a referral program where you can get money for referring new drivers. This bonus varies by market, and your referred driver must sign up directly through your affiliate link and complete a minimum number of deliveries. Most of the time, both you and the new driver receive a bonus, making it a win-win situation.

Check out this review of working for DoorDash for more info.

Pros and cons of being a DoorDasher

Here’s a summary of all of the good and bad things that come with choosing DoorDash as your side hustle.

Pros:

• Low barrier to entry
• Extreme flexibility with no commitment requirements
• Quick payment access with DasherDirect and the option for instant payouts
• Can choose to accept or decline offers

Cons:

• Order availability between peak hours is sparse
• Income is sometimes unpredictable
• No benefits or guaranteed minimum pay in most areas
• Must keep a high acceptance rate and driver rating to remain eligible
• Full responsibility for all expenses, insurance, and taxes

Tips for maximizing earnings as a DoorDash Driver

If you want to earn as much money as possible as a DoorDasher or maximize your earnings per hour, check out some of these proven strategies that top drivers use to make the most as a Dasher.

Dash during peak hours

While Doordash offers you the flexibility to make yourself available to work whenever you want, you will quickly learn that the difference between dashing during peak hours and turning the app on at a random time can be quite significant.

Peak hours during lunch, dinner, and late night are the most lucrative times, and even with many other Dashers active, there’s enough volume for a large amount of orders to come your way.

In between peak hours, orders might be so few and far between that if you’re trying to make money you may find yourself considering another side hustle.

Be selective with orders and locations

Top earners quickly learn that although they should keep their acceptance rate above 70%, declining orders that aren’t worth it in favor of better ones is key to increasing overall income as a Dasher.

Be strategic about both the orders you accept and which areas you choose to work in.

Each city is different, but based on the concentration of restaurants, delivery, and average base pay, there’s always a prime area that you will recognize over time, so be sure to do your best to keep your shift within that area to increase your income.

Take advantage of promotions 

DoorDash regularly offers various promotions that help its users earn more income, so be sure to take advantage of them.

The most common are peak pay periods where an additional dollar amount is added to every delivery. You’ll get a notification of when these hours are and how much the pay will be in advance, so set your schedule accordingly.

While peak pay is automatic, challenges where you need to complete a minimum number of orders within a certain timeframe need to be signed up for in advance. So if you see a challenge presented and you know you can make it work, sign up for it to make sure you’ll get paid for completing it.

Track and deduct all related expenses

As an independent contractor, your take-home pay also depends on your expenses and tax liability. Make sure to keep detailed records of all of your related expenses, which include mileage, gas, maintenance, insurance, and any equipment like cup holders or bags you use for delivery.

To pocket more net income, consider getting a car that is more reliable or fuel efficient, and make sure you’re taking advantage of all tax deductions so you lower the amount you have to pay come tax day. 

Consider multi-apping

Some top delivery drivers have been able to successfully run multiple apps simultaneously to minimize downtime between orders. However, if you choose to do this, you’ll have to get ready to juggle availability and accept and decline orders accordingly.

So, it’s often not worth multi-apping during peak hours, especially because DoorDash will often push you stacked orders which will increase your pay anyway.

Multi-apping during slower times however, is a good way to increase your income potential.

DoorDash alternatives

While DoorDash offers a straightforward food delivery gig in an easy-to-use app with good pay, it’s worth considering alternatives, especially if you want to multi-app.

Here are some of the top alternatives.

Uber Eats

One of the biggest competitors to DoorDash is Uber Eats, which has picked up significantly in popularity for drivers and customers alike since its introduction in 2014. 

Drivers on the app have reported consistent volume even during slow times, better base pay in most areas, and frequent promos. As an Uber Eats delivery driver, you can also opt to drive passengers for additional income as an Uber Driver, something DoorDash doesn’t offer.

GrubHub

GrubHub has made its mark as a well-known option for food delivery and operates slightly differently than other similar apps with block-based scheduling. 

This system allows drivers to choose specific blocks of time where they will make themselves available, ideally offering a more fair order distribution for drivers during peak pay times.

Instacart

If you like browsing store shelves in favor of picking up restaurant food, Instacart might be a better option for you. The app pays you to pick up and deliver a specific grocery list for shoppers who use it to request these orders which are mostly at well-known stores that you probably already frequent yourself.

The income potential per order is significantly higher than food delivery, but this is because it can easily take over 1 hour to find everything and deliver it to the customer’s door.

It’s a good idea to compare potential earnings per hour when deciding whether or not to accept an Instacart order.

Is DoorDash a good side hustle?

DoorDash is one of the best in-person side hustles you can do, offering the flexibility to work on your own schedule during hours that can easily be outside of any full-time job commitment.

In fact, most Dashers use the app solely as a side hustle, as building a full-time income from DoorDash may be difficult.

If you want to become a DoorDasher to up your side hustle game, signing up is quick and easy and the barrier to entry is low.

While you shouldn’t expect to replace your full-time job with it, the app can be a great way to give you supplementary cash that you can use to save or invest in another entrepreneurial venture.

Start a side hustle that’s more lucrative and flexible with Whop

While delivery apps like DoorDash provide a quick way to earn, their income potential is limited, and the work can be physically draining—especially in bad weather.

If you’re looking for a side hustle with higher earning potential and long-term flexibility, consider starting an online business with digital products or dropshipping.

Why?

Digital side hustles let you create scalable, passive income streams. Whether it’s selling online courses, ebooks, or subscription memberships, digital products give you unlimited earning potential without the constraints of hourly work.

Plus, dropshipping lets you sell physical products without worrying about inventory or shipping logistics.

At Whop, we make it easy to launch your online side hustle. Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to turn your skills into income, you’ll find tools, guides, and thriving communities to support your journey.

Already have an idea?

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Do I need a car to sign up with DoorDash?

The vast majority of Dashers use cars, but if you live in a city center that has a large concentration of restaurants and living places in a small radius, you can use a bike.

This will save you on your expenses but might limit your income potential as you won’t be able to accept orders that are outside of your capabilities in terms of time and distance.

What are the best DoorDash alternatives?

Uber Eats and GrubHub are both good alternatives to DoorDash. Drivers across the board in many markets report that Uber Eats generally offers better pay and a higher degree of flexibility, and you also get the ability to earn money as a driver with the app too, so it’s one of the best alternatives out there.

Does DoorDash pay well?

As a side hustle, DoorDash pays relatively well–you can expect to earn between $15-30 per hour. However, your income will vary due to a number of factors, including where you live and when you are available, so if you don’t live in a busy area or aren’t available to work during high-paying peak hours, you might be better off seeking another side hustle altogether.

Does DoorDash do background checks?

Yes, all DoorDash drivers must pass a background check before being approved to use the app. This process is one of the first things you’ll need to do in the signup process, and it can take up to 2 weeks for your background check to go through. Their background check will look for driving violations and a criminal history, and you’ll need to be clean in these areas in order to be approved.