13 Best Delivery App Jobs to Make Extra Cash in 2021

In these times, it seems like everyone could use some extra money in their bank account. For that reason, and a few others, many are turning to the delivery app jobs to help boost their earnings and make it a bit easier to make rent and pay bills.

But there are so many delivery apps, it can sometimes seem like choosing just one or two to try out is impossible. Luckily for you, we’ve distilled the mountain of options into a concise list of our 13 favorite delivery app jobs you can use to make some extra cash. Continue reading below to learn about each one, and find out what people are asking about these services in our FAQ section at the bottom of this article.

Best Delivery App Jobs

Here are the 13 best delivery app jobs available in the United States (and in some cases, abroad) today. The list is in no firm order, although we’ve put the slightly more well-known companies closer to the top in case you want to get to those first.

DoorDash

DoorDash offers food delivery services across the vast majority of the continental United States and most of Canada. The company’s delivery people, called “Dashers” in company lingo, deliver food by car, on foot, and by bicycle (depending on the city they’re in). They can frequently earn tips on their deliveries, on top of the usual delivery fee that’s charged with each order.

In addition to the monetary rewards, the job will keep you up-to-date on the latest and greatest restaurants in the area. (You should be aware that you’re not allowed to have more than three moving violations recorded against you in the last three years to drive for DoorDash, so watch your speed and use those turn signals.)

Learn more about this side hustle in our DoorDash review.

Requirements:

• 18 years or older
• Valid driver’s license (for those using vehicles during deliveries)
• Social Security Number
• Valid vehicle insurance
• Have an Android or iOS smartphone

Pay

• $10-$14 per hour on average

Postmates

If you’d like to deliver more than just fast food and restaurant orders, Postmates might be for you. Postmates offers its clients everything from groceries to alcohol to office supplies. Postmates promises its clients that their delivery will be at their address within the hour, so you’ll need to be quick on your toes and efficient with your time in order not to break this rule.

Especially effective delivery people for Postmates (who work in the less competitive areas) have been known to make upwards of $20 per hour on the right day. It’s all up to you, your work ethic, your stamina, and luck!

Check out our Postmates review to learn more.

Requirements:

• 18 years or older
• Valid driver’s license (for those who use vehicles for their deliveries)
• Pass a background check

Pay:

• $9-$14 per hour on average

Instacart

Instacart is to groceries what DoorDash is to takeout. In other words, Instacart offers its clients groceries delivered to their door. If you work for them, you’ll be the delivery person making that happen. There are actually two sorts of roles available at Instacart. Some people just do the in-store shopping for order takers and hand off the order to a driver, while others do both the driving and (if an in-store shopper hasn’t done it already) the shopping. (The rate we’ve posted above refers to people who drive as well as shop.)

We’d recommend you do both tasks, since you can make significantly more money that way.

Check out our Instacart Shopper review to learn more about this side hustle.

Requirements:

• 18 years or older
• Legally authorized to work in the United States
• Have access to a vehicle
• Have an Android or iOS smartphone
• Ability to lift 50 lbs without help

Pay:

• $10-$14 per hour

Grubhub

Grubhub (along with Uber Eats, discussed below) is a national competitor to DoorDash. It’s available in over 4,000 cities across the United States and commands about 30% of the food delivery market in the U.S. For that reason, you’ve probably heard of them. Maybe you’ve even ordered from them before.

You should be aware that you’ll need to be at least 19 years old (21+ in Chicago and Las Vegas) before you can deliver for this company. You’ll also need a checking account that accepts direct deposits.

Requirements:

• 19 years or older (21+ in Chicago and Las Vegas) 
• iOS or Android-compatible smartphone
• Driver’s license
• Valid auto insurance
• A checking account (for direct deposits)

Pay:

• $12-$15 per hour

Uber Eats

Uber Eats is one of the most established and oldest food delivery apps on the market today. An offshoot of the explosively popular ridesharing app, Uber, Uber Eats trades passengers for takeout and delivers food to people all over the U.S., Canada, and a handful of other countries.

Because Uber Eats pays a little less than some of the other services on this list, you’ll want to be extra-aware of your vehicle fuel and maintenance costs as you deliver for this app. Those expenses can sneak up on you and decimate your bottom-line profit margin if you’re not careful. So keep an eye on your bills and keep a running tally of your gas and garage expenditures as you drive.

Requirements:

• Be old enough to qualify for a driver’s license (if driving)
• Be at least 18 years old (if bicycling)
• Valid government-issued photo identification
• Vehicle registration papers
• Proof of residency

Pay:

• $10-$11 per hour

Shipt

Shipt delivers groceries and a handful of other items (like pet food and office supplies) to customers in a variety of U.S. cities and towns. It works much like Instacart does (see above) but you’ll need to be aware that the vehicle you use has to be less than (at the time of writing) 23 years old. Most people won’t have a problem meeting this requirement.

Delivering groceries can be physically demanding, and you’ll want to make sure you keep up with your exercise. This job will have you regularly carrying 40+ pound packages up and down flights of stairs, and you probably won’t have time to stop and take too many breathers.

Requirements:

• 18 years or older
• Own a vehicle made in 1997 or later
• Valid driver’s license
• Valid auto insurance
• Can lift 40 pounds without assistance
• Working knowledge of produce
• Android- or iOS-compatible smartphone

Pay:

• $10-$14 per hour

Caviar

Caviar connects people to a curated selection of some of the best restaurants in their area. Like DoorDash or Grubhub, but a little more specialized and high-end, Caviar allows you to deliver food to people in your area.

The pay on this app tends to range from slightly to significantly higher than what you’d make on an app like Uber Eats or Grubhub. However, we’ve found that customer expectations are also a little bit higher, so you’ll have to work extra hard for those five-star reviews.

You’ll need a smartphone with an Android or iOS operating system that’s relatively up-to-date to connect with the Caviar app. So if you still have an old-school flip-phone, this job might not be the one for you!

Note: Caviar is owned by DoorDash, so in fact you will be joining DoorDash fleet when you sign up to become a Caviar driver. You will be able to receive Caviar or DoorDash delivery opportunities.

Requirements:

• 18 years or older
• Own a vehicle (including bicycles, scooters, cars, light trucks, etc.)
• Android- or iOS-compatible smartphone
• At least two years of driving experience

Pay:

• $11-$19 per hour

Favor

Favor is like a one-stop-shop when it comes to delivery services. If you’re a “runner” for Favor (which is what they call their delivery people), you might find yourself delivering a takeout order one minute and picking up someone’s drycleaning the next.

This variety is a great way to stay engaged and interested in what can quickly become monotonous work. After all, you might be sick of waiting around at restaurants for other people’s food orders and would welcome a change of pace. If that sounds like you, and you happen to be in one of the cities Favor serves, you may as well give them a shot.

Requirements:

• Android- or iOS-compatible smartphone
• Have access to reliable transportation
• Pass a background check
• 18 years or older

Pay:

• $10-$18 per hour

Saucey

Saucey connects locals with the app to their nearest alcohol provider. Drivers for Saucey will deliver alcohol orders to local clients. Importantly, Saucey promises that a client’s order will be there in 30 minutes or less. That delivery window is significantly narrower than almost every other delivery app company out there. As a result, you’ll need to be especially sharp to make your deadlines each time.

Of course, given the nature of the work, you might occasionally have to deal with an intoxicated customer. Just use your best judgment in these situations, and it should be alright. After all, takeout drivers have to deal with drunk people, too.

Requirements:

• 21 years or older
• Own a vehicle made in 2007 or later
• Android- or iOS-compatible smartphone
• Valid auto insurance
• Pass a background check (including a DMV check)

Pay:

• $7-$15 per hour

goPuff

goPuff delivers convenience items (like snacks, drinks, and basic household items) to customers across various cities in the United States.

goPuff functions a little differently than other delivery apps. Instead of just sending you to the nearest restaurant, liquor store, or shop, goPuff actually maintains a warehouse of relevant items. After scheduling shifts a week in advance, you’ll report to the nearest goPuff warehouse and begin making deliveries. All of the deliveries are paid for with a flat-rate fee, and you’re not required to go to a third-party location to pick up anything else.

Requirements:

• 21 years or older.
• Access to a reliable vehicle
• Valid auto insurance
• Driver’s license.
• Be able to pass a background check

Pay:

• $10-$14 per hour

AmazonFlex

Amazon delivers hundreds of millions of packages every month, and all of those packages have to get to their final destination somehow. Amazon Flex is one of the strategies the company uses to ensure the product gets from a nearby Amazon warehouse to a local address and recipient.

After signing up and verifying that you have a 4-door sedan, truck, or van (so you’ll have enough room to deliver the packages), you’ll report to the nearest Amazon warehouse, pick up your parcels, and make your deliveries.

As with grocery delivery, you’ll need to be in pretty good shape to do this job. There’s nothing like lugging a 40+ pound box up a flight of stairs when you’re not in peak physical condition to make you wish you were.

Requirements:

• 21 years or older
• Social Security Number
• Be able to pass a background check
• Possess a 4-door sedan, truck, or van
• Valid driver’s license
• Valid auto insurance
• Android- or iOS-compatible smartphone

Pay:

• $18-$25 per hour

Roadie

Roadie is an interesting concept. If you’re headed in a particular direction in your car or truck, and you’d like to make a few bucks (or a few hundred bucks, depending on the distance) to take a product from Point A to Point B along the way, you might want to check out the Roadie app.

Roadie pays up to $650 for you to deliver everything from antique lamps to lost luggage in the area you’ll be headed. We find that this app is better for people who just want to make a few dollars here or there, rather than doing this kind of delivery as a full-time gig.

Requirements:

• Access to a reliable and clean vehicle
• Valid driver’s license
• Valid auto insurance

Pay:

• $10-$15 per hour

Bite Squad

Bite Squad is a Minneapolis based delivery app operating in more than 14 states across the country. Bite Squad hires drivers through Delivery Logistics as 1099 Independent Contractors. You get to choose your own hours, drive at your own pace and start earning some cash in your spare time.

As a Bite Squad driver you will be delivering food from local restaurants.

Requirements:

• 18 years or older
• Clean driving record
• Valid driver’s license
• Valid auto insurance
• iPhone or Android smartphone

Pay:

• $12 per hour on average

FAQ Delivery App Jobs

The nature of these delivery app jobs gives rise to a lot of questions. That’s understandable. We’ve grouped the most common questions we receive about these services into a short FAQ, which you can find right here.

How Much Can I Make Delivering Stuff?

Generally speaking, you can make between $8 and $25 per hour delivering food and other goods via a delivery app. There are a wide variety of factors that affect how much you’ll be paid for your delivery services, including:

• The area in which you deliver
• The company you work for
• The competitiveness of the service/app you use in the area you work for
• Whether or not you use a vehicle and what sort of vehicle you use
• How efficient you are in your job.

Some of those factors are more important than others, but they’ll all impact your take-home.

What Food Delivery App Job Pays the Most?

While your mileage may vary (for the reasons we discussed in the question above), we think there’s a good bet that Caviar will pay you the most for your time. At the time of writing, it’s only available in some parts of the East Coast, major cities in the Midwest, and California. So, you might not be able to access this gig if you live in an unserved area. If that’s the case, we suggest giving DoorDash or Postmates a shot. They pay pretty well, too.

What Grocery Delivery App Job Pays the Most?

While the raw numbers in the list above might not suggest as much, we’ve heard great things about Instacart as one of the best delivery app jobs for grocery delivery. That’s because the range we’ve included in the list is just an average. It’s possible to move your income-per-hour well above $14 per hour in most cases, assuming you’re reasonably efficient and have a reliable and fuel-efficient vehicle.

What Package Delivery App Job Pays the Most?

For the package delivery service that pays the most, we vote for Amazon Flex. While it does require that you have access to a four-door car, a light truck, or a van, the higher rates might justify the expenses of driving your probably less fuel-efficient vehicle. You should be cognizant, though, of the maintenance costs of running a larger vehicle. Repairs can be more expensive for vans and trucks than the subcompact cars that people frequently use to deliver food.

What Skills Do I Need to Deliver Stuff?

If you use a car to make your deliveries, you’ll need to be an efficient, fast, and careful driver. By fast, we don’t mean someone who ignores speed limits. We just mean that you don’t meander through traffic like you’re in no hurry at all. 

You’ll also need excellent customer service skills, as well as an ability to impression-manage your way to a five-star rating in your chosen app’s rating environment.

Depending on what you’re delivering, you may also need to be reasonably strong and in good shape. Some of the parcel or grocery delivery services require that you regularly lift 40+ pound packages and travel up and down apartment staircases.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, you’ve got a world of choices when it comes to making deliveries in exchange for cash. And while the requirements for each company vary slightly, the general rule is that you’ll need access to reliable, licensed, and insured transportation, and you’ll need to be able to pass a background (meaning, a criminal record and DMV) check to work for most of these folks.

Assuming you can meet those criteria, you may want to consider taking up a delivery app job for one of these companies. People in the right area at the right time have been known to make enough money from these roles to quit their regular job and focus exclusively on driving.

You may not be as lucky. but odds are you can still make enough to make it just a little bit easier to pay your next bill or buy your next load of groceries. And isn’t that what a side hustle is all about?

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