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Does Uber or Lyft Pay Drivers More in NYC?

Uber vs Lyft driver pay in NYC from 12 months of TLC trip records: pay per trip, tips, pay per hour with a rider, why they differ and what is left out.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 4 official sources
On this page (6)
  1. Average pay, tips and pay per engaged hour
  2. Why the averages differ
  3. Both are bound by the same minimum
  4. What the data excludes
  5. FAQ
  6. Sources

Uber paid a little more per trip, on average. In TLC's trip records for September 2025 to August 2026, an Uber trip paid the driver $21.64 and a Lyft trip $20.04, before tips. Per hour with a passenger in the car, Uber paid $64.73 and Lyft $61.85. Lyft riders tipped slightly more: $1.35 a trip against $1.24. Both companies must follow the same TLC minimum pay rule. Uber's trips were a little longer on average, which explains part of the gap.

These are our averages from TLC's public trip files. TLC's dictionary maps license HV0003 to Uber and HV0005 to Lyft (TLC data dictionary).

Average pay, tips and pay per engaged hour

Uber vs Lyft: driver pay per trip, tip per trip and pay per engaged hour

TLC trip records, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026. Driver pay excludes tips and tolls. 'Per engaged hour' counts only time with a passenger.

Uber (HV0003)$21.64$1.24$64.73
Lyft (HV0005)$20.04$1.35$61.85

Source: NYC TLC Trip Record Data: high-volume FHV (Uber, Lyft), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Aggregated by TLC Help from TLC trip records, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 (pickup date; TLC publishes trip files about two months after the month ends and may revise them). 'App' = high-volume for-hire services (Uber, Lyft). Taxi records with a negative fare (reversals) are excluded. Averages, medians and rates use 'clean' trips only: 1 minute to 4 hours, more than 0 and under 150 miles, fare above $0 and under $1,000. App driver_pay is TLC's 'total driver pay (not including tolls or tips and net of commission, surcharges, or taxes)'. Tips are separate. 'Per engaged hour' divides pay by passenger time only (pickup to drop-off). It leaves out time driving to pickups and waiting for requests, so real hourly earnings are lower; it is not the TLC minimum-pay formula. Mixed $ measures (per trip vs per hour): best shown as a table. Average trip length differs by company (Uber (HV0003): 4.99 mi, 20.1 min; Lyft (HV0005): 4.70 mi, 19.4 min), which drives part of any pay gap.

Uber vs Lyft: the trip mix behind the averages

Row labelUber (HV0003)Lyft (HV0005)
Trips in 12 months181.6 million69.9 million
Average trip4.99 miles, 20.1 min4.70 miles, 19.4 min
Trips over 10 miles13.2%11.2%
Trips with an airport fee8.4%8.1%
Median driver pay per trip$16.14$15.11
Driver pay as a share of base fare77.1%77.2%
Average tip per trip$1.24$1.35

Source: TLC trip records, high-volume FHV, our calculation (clean trips only: 1 minute to 4 hours, under 150 miles, fare $0–$1,000).

Why the averages differ

  • Trip length. Uber's average trip was 0.29 miles and 0.7 minutes longer, and more of its trips were over 10 miles. The TLC minimum is a per-mile plus per-minute amount, so longer trips pay more.
  • Same share of the fare. Each company passed on almost the same share of the base passenger fare to drivers (about 77%). The gap is in the trips, not in the split. More on that in what riders pay vs what drivers get.
  • Tips. Lyft riders tipped a little more per trip on average.

App trips per day by company

Average daily trips each month by the company license on the trip record. A driver who works for both is counted under whichever app sent the trip.

Trips per day

714KSep 2025Oct 2025Nov 2025Dec 2025Jan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026Apr 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jul 2026Aug 2026
  • Uber (HV0003)
  • Lyft (HV0005)
Show data table
LabelUber (HV0003)Lyft (HV0005)
Sep 2025468,235179,587
Oct 2025499,038188,340
Nov 2025496,949196,993
Dec 2025515,282197,894
Jan 2026491,795183,701
Feb 2026505,963203,883
Mar 2026514,715196,845
Apr 2026512,629187,236
May 2026495,317218,417
Jun 2026508,591183,938
Jul 2026490,819184,060
Aug 2026477,421183,659

Source: NYC TLC Trip Record Data: high-volume FHV (Uber, Lyft), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · Data as of Oct 12, 2026. Aggregated by TLC Help from TLC trip records, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 (pickup date; TLC publishes trip files about two months after the month ends and may revise them). 'App' = high-volume for-hire services (Uber, Lyft). Taxi records with a negative fare (reversals) are excluded. Averages, medians and rates use 'clean' trips only: 1 minute to 4 hours, more than 0 and under 150 miles, fare above $0 and under $1,000. Company from hvfhs_license_num; TLC's data dictionary maps HV0003 = Uber and HV0005 = Lyft (HV0002 Juno and HV0004 Via no longer appear). A trip dispatched through one company's app counts for that company even if the driver works for both.

Uber had about 2.3 to 2.8 times as many trips per day as Lyft in every month. More trips can mean shorter waits between requests, but the trip records don't show waiting time per company. Market share in detail is on Uber vs Lyft market share.

Both are bound by the same minimum

Rates as of 2026-10-12 from TLC Driver Pay Rates. Both companies must also pass on the whole tip and the whole toll, and both must follow the 72-hour and 16-hour lockout rules. Use the minimum pay estimator to check a trip from either app.

What the data excludes

  • Waiting time and empty miles. How long you wait for the next request on each app is not in public trip records. That can matter more than a dollar per trip.
  • Your costs. Gas, insurance and car payments are the same whichever app sends the trip.
  • Bonuses and promotions that aren't recorded as trip pay.
  • Hour and place. Both apps pay differently by hour; see Uber and Lyft pay by hour of day and busiest hours.

If you drive for both apps, check each company's statement on its own: see how to read an Uber or Lyft pay statement. The full minimum-pay rule is on Uber and Lyft minimum pay. More on the apps hub.

Frequently asked questions

Does Uber or Lyft pay more per trip in NYC?

In TLC trip records for Sep 2025 – Aug 2026, Uber trips paid drivers $21.64 on average and Lyft trips $20.04, before tips. Lyft riders tipped a little more ($1.35 vs $1.24 per trip).

Which pays more per hour?

Per hour with a passenger in the car, Uber trips paid $64.73 and Lyft trips $61.85 on average. That leaves out waiting and driving to pickups, which the trip records don't show for each company.

Do Uber and Lyft have different minimum pay rates?

No. TLC rule 59D-22 sets the same per-mile and per-minute minimums for every high-volume company. From March 1, 2026: $1.283 per mile and $0.681 per minute in the city for non-WAV trips.

Which company has more trips?

Uber. Over the 12 months, Uber had about 181.6 million trips and Lyft about 69.9 million in the cleaned trip records, roughly 72% and 28%.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. NYC TLC Trip Record Data (high-volume FHV), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 nyc.gov
  2. TLC Data Dictionary: High Volume FHV Trip Records (March 18, 2025) nyc.gov
  3. TLC: Driver Pay Rates nyc.gov
  4. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 59 (§59D-22) nyc.gov

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.

TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.

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