I went through all the steps to start driving for Amazon Flex, but I’ve seen a lot of people say it’s not worth it. They mention that the pay isn’t great and that the routes can be a hassle. Is that true, or is there some upside to it?
If it’s your only job? No. If you’re doing it occasionally for extra cash? It can work, just make sure it’s actually worth your time.
Xavi said:
If it’s your only job? No. If you’re doing it occasionally for extra cash? It can work, just make sure it’s actually worth your time.
It wouldn’t be my only job, just occasional work. But I wouldn’t really know how to make sure it’s worth it—seems like Amazon controls a lot of it.
@Meech
You’ll need to do the math on what they’re paying per hour and whether it makes sense for you. For me, the same-day warehouse (Flex-exclusive) is a 35-minute drive, and the other locations are 20-25 minutes away. I won’t work for less than $30/hr, which is rare, so I don’t do Flex often.
@Meech
Once you take a few shifts and compare your pay to the effort, you’ll get a good idea of whether it’s worth it.
The routes are generally bad, and the pay isn’t great. It used to be decent, but Amazon has onboarded tons of drivers and added more packages and miles per route. In my experience, a lot of it is off-road, gravel, and dirt roads.
@Beryl
Plus, bots grab all the higher-paying shifts, so you’re left with $18/hr base pay and the worst routes. Not worth it.
Cassidy1 said:
@Beryl
Plus, bots grab all the higher-paying shifts, so you’re left with $18/hr base pay and the worst routes. Not worth it.
How do bots take higher-paying routes? They can’t drive without a human behind the wheel.
@Melissa
Some people use bots to grab shifts instantly across multiple gig apps. Usually, two or three people are sharing one person’s credentials and splitting shifts.
I work in IT and make decent money, but I like to travel and have dependents. I drive an EV, so my extra mileage costs are low. I only accept shifts that pay over $100 total and at least $25/hr. A shift costs me about $10-20 in expenses (including tires and depreciation), and I still get the standard mileage tax deduction.
I do 2-4 shifts every other weekend, making an extra $400-$800 a month, with less than half of it taxable after mileage deductions. It doubles my fun money, so it’s worth it to me.
That said, a lot of people doing Flex don’t realize how expensive it is to drive 100+ miles a day, or they’re desperate and don’t have better options. Before I switched to an EV, my net pay was closer to $10/hr—less than minimum wage in Washington State. Most people would earn 50% more and have less risk working retail or fast food.
@Raiden
So many drivers have no idea what their actual cost per mile is. Even those who think they do often miss some key expenses.
@Raiden
If you accept blocks at $21-25/hr, would your net pay be around $10/hr?
Frankie said:
@Raiden
If you accept blocks at $21-25/hr, would your net pay be around $10/hr?
If you drive a regular gas car, that’s probably accurate. Many people ignore expenses like tires, maintenance, and depreciation, but those costs eventually catch up.
Frankie said:
@Raiden
If you accept blocks at $21-25/hr, would your net pay be around $10/hr?
I average $27/hr net after expenses but before taxes. Thanks to standard mileage deductions, I only pay self-employment tax on about half of it.
@Raiden
What EV do you use for Flex?
Subaru Solterra. Wouldn’t recommend it for Flex unless you have an L2 charger at home—it charges way too slowly.
If you have no other income, yes, it’s worth it. Best-paying gig app by far (I’ve tried almost all of them).
Aubrey said:
If you have no other income, yes, it’s worth it. Best-paying gig app by far (I’ve tried almost all of them).
How much do you make in an 8-hour day? I get around $140/day from Grubhub but just signed up for Flex.
@Cort
What’s ‘GH’?
Junita said:
@Cort
What’s ‘GH’?
Grubhub, most likely.