How Much Do Uber Drivers Make in NYC?

Full-time Uber and Lyft drivers in NYC have median pay of about $61 an hour before taxes and expenses, according to TLC's testimony to the City Council on March 17, 2026. That was up from $46 an hour in 2019 (TLC testimony). By the week, TLC says median gross weekly earnings were roughly $1,100 to $1,400 between February 2025 and January 2026 (TLC license review). Your car costs and taxes come out of that.

The official figures

TLC says the weekly range has been "consistent with levels seen since 2021", with "a modest uptick reflecting recent adjustments" to the minimum pay standard. High-volume companies are the only FHV class that must send TLC driver pay data, which is why these figures exist for app drivers and not for black car or livery drivers.

What the trip records show

Per trip, the average driver pay was between $19.88 and $22.03 each month from September 2025 to August 2026; the median trip paid about $15–$16.60. Per hour with a passenger, pay was about $62–$65 without tips. That last figure ignores time waiting and driving to pickups, so it is higher than real hourly pay. The two measures are explained on Uber and Lyft pay by hour of day.

Expenses: what comes out of gross pay

TLC built its 2025 per-mile pay rate from a study of driver costs. The final per-mile cost factors were (TLC Notice of Promulgation):

TLC's study found the average full-time driver logs 32,500 miles a year, and renters paid an average of $528 a week in rent (TLC expense report). At 32,500 miles, the cost factors above work out to roughly $24,500 a year for an owned gas car and $33,400 for a rented one (our calculation). Your own costs may be very different.

Caveats

• Gross, not net. Both TLC figures are before car costs and before taxes. If you file as self-employed, you also owe self-employment tax of 15.3% on 92.35% of your net earnings, on top of income tax (IRS, as of 2026-10-12). This is not tax advice.
• Medians. Half of full-time drivers earned less than the median, and part-time drivers are not in the hourly figure.
• Hours limits. You can carry passengers for at most 10 hours in 24 hours and 60 hours a week; see how many hours can I drive?
• Not a wage. TLC's minimum is per trip, not per hour. Whether app drivers earn "minimum wage" is answered in do Uber drivers in NYC earn minimum wage?

Benefits add to pay: app drivers earn paid sick leave under the 2023 settlements (paid sick leave for Uber and Lyft drivers). For comparison, TLC put full-time yellow taxi drivers' median at about $60 an hour in 2025: see how much yellow taxi drivers make. More data on the driver earnings stats page, TLC active drivers and the apps hub.