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In short: TLC says the median NYC Uber/Lyft driver earned roughly $1,100 to $1,400 a week, gross, between February 2025 and January 2026 — "consistent with levels seen since 2021" (FHV License Review, Feb 2026). In March 2026 TLC told the City Council that median pay for full-time app drivers was about $61 an hour before taxes and expenses, up from $46 in 2019 (testimony). Car costs then take roughly $470 to $640 a week for a full-time driver with a gas car, depending on whether you own or rent.
These are TLC's own numbers, not survey claims from rental or insurance companies. "Gross" means before car costs, taxes and any fees you pay.
The numbers at a glance
Gross vs net: an illustration
TLC's expense study counted vehicle costs only. At 32,500 miles a year, they come to about $24,465 a year (about $470 a week) for an owned gas car and $33,406 (about $642 a week) for a rented gas car (CNYCA). If a driver grossed the middle of TLC's range, $1,250, and had the average owned-car costs, about $780 would be left before income and self-employment tax; with average rental costs, about $610. This is arithmetic on averages from two different TLC sources, not a measured net income. See what it costs per mile to do it with your own numbers.
Pay from the trip records
TLC's trip files record each app trip's driver_pay (before tips, net of the company's commission). Dividing total pay by the hours passengers were in the car gives pay per engaged hour:
It sat between $62.40 and $65.12 without tips. It is not what a driver earns per working hour. TLC measured that, across the industry, passengers were in the car 53.3% of the time drivers were available (May 2023 – April 2024), and rule §59D-22(b) uses that figure as the applied time utilization rate. The figure is useful for comparing months, not for budgeting. Month by month, pay per trip looked like this:
TLC raised the minimum rates by 3.36% on March 1, 2026; month-to-month changes also reflect the mix of trips. More detail by trip length and borough: pay per trip, mile and minute.
How pay rules changed, 2019–2026
- February 1, 2019: the first minimum pay standard. TLC said it was designed to equal $27.86 an hour gross, or $17.22 after expenses for drivers (TLC, Dec 4, 2018).
- Six inflation (CPI) increases and two rule amendments since then, per the February 2026 License Review; the latest amendment was adopted in June 2025.
- June 2025 rule: new expense factor, new utilization rates and lockout protections. TLC said the sample 7.5-mile, 30-minute trip would pay about $29.07, 26.3% more than under the original 2019 rates (rule notice).
- March 1, 2026: rates up 3.36% to $1.283/mile and $0.681/minute (non-WAV), per TLC's rates page as of 2026-10-12.
Full-time vs casual drivers
Company data analyzed for TLC's 2024 expense report show that most trips come from long-hour drivers:
In the same study's survey, 81% usually drove 32 hours a week or more and 80% said driving was their only income. TLC's indicators show app drivers recorded trips in 6.4 hours a day on about 22 days a month in 2025:
More in how many hours NYC drivers really work.
What the data can't tell you
Related: tips are on top of pay — see app tipping data. Tolls are recorded separately from pay — see how often app trips include tolls. Taxi drivers: how much yellow taxi drivers make. Other income: tablet ad earnings. Benefits: paid sick leave for app drivers. Market size: TLC active drivers and taxi and Uber trip statistics.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Uber and Lyft drivers make per week in NYC?
TLC's February 2026 FHV License Review says drivers' median gross weekly earnings ranged from roughly $1,100 to $1,400 between February 2025 and January 2026. Gross means before car costs and taxes.
What is the hourly figure TLC gives?
In March 2026 City Council testimony, TLC said median pay for full-time high-volume drivers, before taxes and expenses, was about $61 an hour, compared with $46 in 2019. TLC did not publish how it counted the hours.
How much is left after car costs?
TLC's expense study puts a full-time driver's vehicle costs at about $470 a week for an owned gas car and about $642 for a rented one. Taxes and other costs come on top. Your own result depends on your hours, car and miles.
Do most app trips come from full-time drivers?
Yes, according to company data in TLC's 2024 expense report: in 2023, drivers averaging 30 or more hours a week were about 54% of drivers but gave about 74% of trips. Drivers under 10 hours a week were 9.5% of drivers and 1.1% of trips.
Why is the trip-data pay per hour so much higher than TLC's figure?
Our 'pay per engaged hour' divides pay only by time with a passenger. It leaves out waiting and driving to pickups, so real pay per working hour is lower. TLC measured that passengers were in the car about 53% of the time drivers were available (May 2023 – April 2024).
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC February 2026 For-Hire Vehicle License Review nyc.gov
- TLC testimony on the Preliminary Budget, March 17, 2026 nyc.gov
- CNYCA driver expense report (December 2024) nyc.gov
- CNYCA Supplemental Expense Report (April 2025) nyc.gov
- TLC Notice of Promulgation: driver pay rules (adopted June 25, 2025) nyc.gov
- TLC press release, December 4, 2018 (driver pay standard) nyc.gov
- NYC TLC: Driver Pay Rates nyc.gov
- TLC Trip Record Data (high-volume FHV, Sep 2025 – Aug 2026) 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.