What rideshare drivers in Australia actually earn: the real numbers after every cost
General information only. Not tax or financial advice. Consult a registered tax agent or BAS agent for your specific situation.
Common questions
How much do Uber and DiDi drivers earn per hour in Australia after costs?
Most drivers in Australian cities receive a payout of around $22 to $35 per hour after the platform fee. What many do not account for is GST obligations, fuel, depreciation, and insurance on top of that. This guide helps you calculate what is actually left.
What percentage does Uber and DiDi take from drivers in Australia?
Uber's published service fee is 27.5 percent and DiDi's is 18.5 percent. Both can vary depending on trip type, location, and any active promotions. Some smaller platforms in the Australian market charge around 15 percent, though these operate at lower scale and demand. Check your platform's current fee schedule for the rate applying to your trips.
Do rideshare drivers in Australia have to pay GST on their earnings?
Yes. All rideshare drivers must register for GST and remit it to the ATO quarterly. The platform does not handle this for you. GST must be set aside and lodged through your Business Activity Statement.
What is deadheading and how does it affect rideshare earnings?
Deadheading is kilometres driven without a passenger, getting to a pickup or repositioning after a drop. It typically accounts for 20 to 40 percent of total kilometres driven and adds cost without generating income. It is one of the main reasons payouts overstate actual hourly earnings.
Most Uber and DiDi drivers in Australia know two numbers: the gross fare on the app and the payout that lands in their bank after the platform fee. What most do not know is their actual hourly profit once GST obligations, vehicle running costs, and tax are accounted for. This guide explains how to calculate the number that actually matters.
Ask a new rideshare driver how much they're making and they'll tell you their earnings.
Ask an experienced one and they'll tell you their profit.
That gap, between what the app shows and what actually ends up in your pocket, is where most drivers get it wrong. Not because they aren't working hard. Because they're measuring the wrong number.
Why the fare on your app is not your income
When you complete a trip, the platform shows you a fare. That number feels real. It feels like money you've made.
But before it reaches you, and even after it does, several things are already working against that number.
Step 1
Gross fare
What the passenger pays, including booking fees and any pricing adjustments
→Step 2
Platform fee (15%–27.5%)
Taken by Uber, DiDi, or whichever platform you're on
→Step 3
Payout received
What hits your bank account. This is not your profit. Your GST obligation and running costs still come out of this figure.
→Step 4
GST obligation
Accounted for and remitted to the ATO quarterly, after claiming credits on eligible business expenses. This is not deducted by the platform. It is your responsibility to set aside and lodge.
And that's before a single cost of running your car.
The vehicle costs most rideshare drivers undercount
This is where the real money disappears, quietly, trip by trip.
Petrol
The most visible cost. Most drivers track this. But even here the number is often underestimated because deadheading, driving without a passenger to reach a pickup, adds kilometres that don't feel like work.
Depreciation
The most ignored cost. Every kilometre reduces your car's value. A vehicle doing 40,000 kilometres a year for rideshare will lose value significantly faster than one doing 15,000. This cost is real. It just doesn't show up until the day you sell.
Maintenance
Oil changes, tyres, brakes, filters. All arrive faster with higher usage. Increased kilometres bring maintenance forward whether you plan for it or not.
Insurance, rego and fixed costs
These exist whether you drive one trip a week or ten hours a day. The fewer hours you drive, the more each trip is carrying these fixed costs.
How to calculate your real hourly rate as a rideshare driver
Here is the question every driver should be asking: what am I actually making per hour, after every cost is accounted for?
Illustrative example: 40 hours driving, major Australian city
This figure is before income tax. Income tax depends on your total annual income, your deductions, and your personal circumstances. It cannot be accurately mapped to a weekly or hourly figure. A registered tax agent can help you understand your full tax position once your annual figures are known.
This is an illustrative example only. Your actual figures will vary based on your vehicle, your city, your hours, and your specific costs. The point is not the exact number. It's the method. If you don't know your real hourly rate, you don't know if rideshare is working for you.
Deadheading: the hidden cost that reduces your hourly rate
One cost that rarely gets discussed, and one that quietly kills hourly rates, is deadheading.
Deadheading is the time and distance spent driving without a passenger. Getting to the pickup. Repositioning after a drop-off. Moving to a busier area.
In practice this can account for 20–40% of total kilometres driven. A driver covering 300 kilometres in a shift might only have 200 of those generating income. The other 100 still cost petrol and depreciation but earn nothing.
This is why experienced drivers are strategic about where and when they drive, not just how long. Location, timing, and demand patterns affect deadheading as much as they affect surge pricing.
Why comparing rideshare pay to an hourly wage does not work
Many drivers compare rideshare earnings to a regular hourly wage. On the surface it can look competitive.
But an employee on $25 per hour typically receives:
A rideshare driver has to cover all of that from the same dollar figure, while also carrying income variability that a regular job doesn't have. The comparison only makes sense after every cost and obligation is accounted for.
Three types of rideshare drivers and why earnings mean different things for each
The Bridge Driver
Short-term income is the goal. Profit per hour matters less than cash in hand this week. But ignoring costs completely can mean working hard for very little at the end of it.
The Goal-Based Driver
Has a finish line in sight. Knowing the real hourly rate tells you exactly how many hours stand between you and your goal. Without it, you're guessing.
The Career Driver
Every decision compounds. Vehicle choice, driving hours, location strategy, expense tracking. All of it adds up or subtracts over years. Knowing your real numbers isn't optional. It's the job.
The four numbers every rideshare driver needs to track
You don't need a complex spreadsheet. You need four figures.
Your payout from the platforms each week (after platform fees)
Your total running costs (petrol, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, rego)
Your total hours worked (including deadheading time, not just trip time)
Your tax provision (the portion set aside for GST and income tax)
From those four numbers you can calculate your real hourly rate. And from that, you can make decisions that actually improve it.
NetRide PRO brings these numbers together: income across every platform, expenses, and mileage. Use it to see your actual position at any point during the quarter, not just at tax time.
Tracking your real earnings: what changes when you know the numbers
Rideshare doesn't pay poorly. Poor decisions and poor visibility into the numbers make it pay poorly.
Drivers who track everything consistently make better decisions about when to drive, how long to drive, and whether the vehicle they're in is actually working for them.
The ones who don't track anything find out the truth eventually. Usually at tax time. Usually with a number that doesn't match what they thought they'd made.
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ABN & GST: what you need to do before trip one
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Rideshare in Australia: should you own or lease your car?
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