Uber Eats driver creates TikTok challenge to earn $2k delivering food throughout Wellington

Monday, 25 October 2021

Can you earn $2000 per week on Uber Eats?

An Uber Eats driver estimates he could make $100,000 a year delivering food, after creating a Tiktok challenge to see how much he could earn in a week.

And although he was off his $2000 goal by $500, Wellingtonian Jack Hammond still thinks getting behind the wheel, rather than picking up the fork, is worth it.

“For someone like me who hasn’t gone to university, it’s a very good opportunity,” he said.

“If you compare it to a regular job like working in hospitality or retail, it’s pretty hard to find a job that's paying $32 an hour.”’

* These school of rock co-stars romance is still going strong and fans are thrilled

* Uber Eats driver locked out of livelihood for using a different car

* New Plymouth food delivery game heats up with the arrival of Uber Eats

Uber Eats delivery driver Jack Hammond created a Tiktok challenge to try and earn $2000 in one week.

Hammond has worked for both Delivereasy and Menulog over the last three months, and decided to join Uber Eats 10 days ago after getting his full licence.

Uber Eats is in 10 cities across New Zealand.

And with more than 14,000 followers on Tiktok, he decided to showcase how much money he could make while delivering food, with daily videos.

“It’s a good challenge everyone can understand, and I could showcase ‘hey it’s actually attainable to do this kind of thing and make some pretty decent money’,” he said.

The 21-year-old lives in Petone, but for 80 per cent of the week he worked in the Wellington CBD, as he found that’s where the most business is.

“I had more success in the city and I definitely thought it was worthy of making the commute.”

In total, he worked 47 hours and 20 minutes – which is just under $32 an hour before expenses and tax, which included about 10 per cent of the weekly income to petrol.

Some of the reasons he fell $500 short of his $2000 included the weather being good so fewer people ordered in, and it being a long weekend, he said.

It was also his best mates birthday on Saturday, so he only did a few hours of work that day.

“I’m a little disappointed I didn't complete my goal,” he said.

Delivery driving was his primary source of income, while also working with brands and companies on Tiktok.

As an Uber Eats driver, Hammond is classified as an independent contractor, therefore works when he wants, but can't apply for sick or annual leave.

Uber Eats drivers can also earn extra money if they complete deliveries at certain times of the day.

But because Hammond has been registered with Uber Eats for less than 10 days, he doesn’t have that opportunity yet.

“If I had access to that, like if I was receiving 1.4 times the order amount I was making, I'd be very close to that $2000 mark.

“And if you’re earning $2000 in a week you’ll theoretically be earning $100,000 a year.”