How Much Do Shipt Shoppers Make in 2024?

How Much Do Shipt Shoppers Make?

Shipt Shoppers typically earn between $15 and $25 per hour. This varies based on factors like experience, customer service skills, and the number of hours worked.

Experienced shoppers can make around $22 per hour on average, based on 30 trips. For each completed order, they earn a base pay of $5 plus 7.5% of the total order cost.

Additionally, Shipt shoppers keep 100% of the tips they receive, although tips are not guaranteed. The actual earnings can vary greatly depending on individual determination and the hours put in.

Top-Paying Cities and States for Uber Drivers

Now let’s take a look at the city-specific numbers. We’ve taken the 15 top cities among the 60 in total that we analyzed:

The Best Times to Drive In Those Cities and States

Real-World Examples of Shipt Shopper Earnings

As with any delivery company, your experiences may vary. What you get out of working for Shipt will depend on a wide variety of factors, such as how hard you work, where you’re located, and how experienced you are.

On a Reddit thread of Shipt veterans discussing their pay, replies varied. There was consensus that the amount of pay will be largely dependent on the metro area you’re based in.

One user stated that he earns between $27 and $28 per hour before expenses, and once expenses are paid, including taxes, he receives about $22 per hour.

 On another thread, a Shipt shopper who has just started said that they earn about $20 – $25 an hour. They state that they think that it’s the tips that make or break whether Shipt is worth it and that building up a number of regular, well-tipping customers is key.

Another Shipt Shopper who states that they work in the New York metro area states that they usually make about $33 an hour, but that it can get as high as $40 an hour depending on tips.

Factors That Influence Shipt Shopper Earnings

As well as pay structure, there are other factors that will influence the overall earnings of a Shipt Shopper:

• Order Size: Larger orders demand more time and effort, typically leading to higher earnings.
• Distance: The distance between the store and customer’s location affects travel time, impacting hourly earnings.
• Order Completion Time: The time it takes to complete an order, including shopping, travel, and checkout, influences per-hour income.
• Incentives and Promotions: Shipt’s rewards programs, like gas cashback and grocery credits, can boost hourly rates.
• Earnings Variability: Shipt shopper earnings fluctuate based on several factors, including order selection and working hours.
• Hourly Wage Maximization: Choices like accepting challenging orders and working peak times can increase hourly wages.
• Flexibility Utilization: Leveraging Shipt’s flexibility can significantly enhance a shopper’s overall income.

Understanding Shipt’s Payment Structure

Shipt’s payment structure may initially sound a little complicated, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It works via a combination of base pay with rewards, bonuses, and tips.

Initially, Shipt shoppers are presented with an ‘Offer Pay’ for each delivery, which is an estimate of what the job will pay.

They can decide whether or not to accept a delivery based on what it pays. Shipt offers a guarantee that Shipt Shoppers will earn at least $16 an hour in every market.

On top of the base bay, shoppers can earn more through bonuses. These can be earned by meeting certain requirements, like delivering orders within a specified timeframe or working with specific retailers. This aims to be an incentive to make sure Shipt delivers a quality service.

Lastly, Shipt shoppers get to keep 100% of their tips. The Shipt app encourages customers to tip via prompts, although the amount that they choose to tip can be variable. Income earned through tips can significantly boost a Shipt shopper’s hourly wage.

The combination of a guaranteed base rate, the possibility of bonuses, and customer tips makes driving with Shipt an increasingly appealing option.

How Instacart Earnings Compare to Other Gig Economy Companies

According to Glassdoor, the average hourly wage of a Shipt Shopper is between $13 and $23 an hour, with the median being $17.

That being said, the location of the shopper can make a big difference, with shoppers in high-demand areas making more. Let’s take a closer look at some of the data, including how Shipt compares to other similar companies:

1. Shipt

According to our data, the highest earning place to be a Shipt Shopper is Colombus, Ohio, with shoppers making $23.02 per hour on average.

The best days to work are Monday, Friday, and Saturday, and the highest earning time of the day is 3:00 PM.

Conversely, the lowest earning place to be a Shipt Shopper is Charlotte, North Carolina, with Shipt Shoppers only earning $14.64 on average.

Tips per hour are variable by location, with Columbus taking the top spot for tips per hour and Philadelphia coming out at the bottom.

2. DoorDash

Our data shows that the average hourly pay for a DoorDasher is $15.03 per hour, and there is less regional variation.

The highest earning location is Seattle, Washington, where Dashers earn an average of $17.91 an hour, and the lowest earning location is Miami, with Dashers only earning $11.85 an hour on average.

3. Amazon Flex

The average hourly wage for an Amazon Flex worker is variable, with the highest rates found in Seattle at $29.61 an hour. The lowest-paid location in Orlando, with an average hourly pay of $19.99.

4. Instacart

Instacart average wages based on location,  with the highest hourly wage being $32.96 in Tacoma-Olypia and the lowest being $13.94 in Birmingham.

The average amount of tips per hour made on top of that is $9.90 across all locations. Compared with Instacart’s pay, Shipt is relatively similar, with the pay pretty equal across the board.

Maximizing Earnings as a Shipt Shopper

Just like any job, if you’re working for Shipt you’ll get out what you put in. Here are some tips for maximizing your earnings when working as a Shipt Shopper:

1. Shop Efficiently

Have you ever noticed how much longer it takes to do your grocery shopping when you go to an unfamiliar supermarket?

Ensuring you’re familiar with the stores you go to as a Shipt shopper can massively improve your shopping time, saving precious minutes. Make sure your shopping lists are well organized and that you only accept orders for places you’re familiar with.

2. Focus on High Demand Times

Peak times, such as weekends and evenings, come with higher earning opportunities. Make yourself available during the highest demand times when demand spikes – Shipt often has added incentives during these times.

3. Give Good Customer Service

Tips make a huge difference to your overall earnings as a Shipt shopper, and customer service is the key to getting good tips. One Reddit thread shares some top tips for Shipt shoppers to maximize their tips, which include:

• Adding personality to your texts to the customer
• Be thoughtful with your substitutions, including Googling good substitution options for items.
• Be communicative and text your customer when you’re at the checkout so they know their delivery is imminent.
• Add a thank you text after the groceries have been delivered.

Challenges and Realities of Shipt Shopper Pay

Like all workers in the gig economy, there are some challenges and sobering realities that come with being a Shipt shopper:

1. Varied income

Because Shipt pay is linked to order size as well as other factors such as tips, it can be very variable. This can make it hard to plan financially, as well as pose difficulties when it comes to proving your income on things like rental applications.

2. Inconsistent work

As well as variable pay, there is also variable work availability. You will also need to ensure you focus your working hours around the high-demand periods, which can often be weekends or evenings.

3. Expenses

Because Shipt shoppers are classed as independent contractors, you’ll need to pay all your own expenses, including taxes, insurance, and vehicle costs. This can significantly add up, and it can also be affected by price fluctuations, such as fuel prices.

4. Market saturation

In popular areas there can be an oversupply of Shipt shoppers, meaning that there is not enough work for everyone. This makes it harder for individual shoppers to earn a living from Shipt.

Pro Tip: Track Expenses With Freshbooks

Use Freshbooks to track your income and expenses, so that you never miss a thing

You’ll also need to consider expenses like car maintenance.

One of the requirements of being a Shipt shopper is to have a valid U.S. driver’s license, a reliable vehicle, and auto insurance.

You can deduct expenses from your gross income when filing taxes, but you’ll also need to pay for services as they come up.

For instance, imagine you pay $5 in gas for your $40 order.

Your net pay is $35, not factoring in taxes.

Having said this, the only real driving you’ll be doing is going from the grocery store to a customer’s house, and then potentially back to the grocery store to pick up an order for another customer.

You shouldn’t put nearly as much wear-and-tear on your vehicle as you would driving for Uber or Lyft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrapping Up

Working as a Shipt shopper can be a flexible way to earn some extra income, and is particularly suited to those who like to set their own hours.

Pay is influenced by order size, delivery distance, and customer tips, but on average Shipt shoppers can expect to make around $17 hourly.

There are some challenges involved with Shipt shopping, like variable income and paying your own expenses, but for some, the benefits outweigh the challenges.

Tips are one of the most important factors in a Shipt shopper’s hourly rate, and delivering amazing, consistent customer service is a great way to maximize tips.

To decide if Shipt is the right fit for you, you’ll need to weigh the challenges against the upsides to decide whether it is worth it!