Last updated: October 3, 2026. Screenshots of daily earnings shared in group chats typically do not show waiting time, empty runs, or vehicle costs. To determine whether delivery work is profitable, first define a specific time period—such as a full four-week period—and then calculate based on your own transaction details and records. Since factors such as city, vehicle type, platform promotions, and personal schedules vary, a single “daily earnings” figure cannot be used as a guarantee.
First, track your income: Record the actual earnings from each platform, promotional rewards, tips, and any possible adjustments or deductions separately. Do not assume that promotional rewards are available every week. Next, track your time: Include the time from when you go online until you log off, as well as time spent waiting for meals, waiting for orders, and traveling for work. If you’re active on multiple platforms simultaneously, count overlapping time periods only once. Since only the minutes spent actually delivering are used as the denominator, your hourly rate will appear higher than the actual time you spent working.
It’s easier to keep track of costs if you divide them into two categories. Expenses such as gas, charging, parking, tolls, and repairs for a specific trip can be recorded on the actual date they occurred; items that aren’t paid for daily—such as tires, brakes, vehicle maintenance, cell phone data, insurance, and equipment—should be allocated reasonably based on the period of use. If the vehicle is also used for personal purposes, only the portion reasonably attributable to food delivery work should be included. How to report taxes and insurance should be confirmed based on your individual circumstances and information from the relevant authorities; you cannot simply apply someone else’s proportions to your situation.
The sample calculation is provided solely to illustrate the method: Suppose you earned 24,000 yuan over a four-week period, with delivery-related expenses—including fuel, electricity, parking, maintenance, and communication costs—totaling 5,000 yuan. and with 100 hours actually worked, the “hourly income after deducting recorded costs” for this period is (24,000 – 5,000) ÷ 100 = 190 yuan. This is not a statistical representation of any specific delivery rider’s income, nor does it represent income after all personal taxes have been deducted; omitting expenses or working hours will result in an inaccurate calculation.
After recording data for several consecutive periods, compare different time frames and areas—this will help you decide whether to adjust your running strategy more effectively than relying on a single day’s peak value. If maintenance costs suddenly increase, first checkVehicle Maintenance Records...Don’t delay safety maintenance just to make your reported hourly wage look better. To compare this with other issues related to food delivery jobs, you can check outComprehensive Articles on Food DeliverySee below; the platform's compensation rules are subject to the current app and the official statement.
