Delivery & gig driving
Want to start earning this week? With a car — or in some cities just a bike — you can sign up, get approved, and be making deliveries within days, on whatever hours you choose. Work a morning, skip an afternoon, cash out tonight. For a lot of newcomers this is the fastest door into paid work in America, and it asks almost nothing of you upfront.
The honest part: you are your own boss, which means you are also your own everything else. As a 1099 worker there is no employer paying your gas, your insurance, your car's wear, or half your taxes — that all comes out of what you earn, and no one withholds it for you. There are no paid days off, no health benefits, no steady paycheck if the app goes quiet. Treat it for what it is: a fast foothold or a solid supplement to other income, rarely a career you can lean on for decades. And if steady is what you're really after, look one job over: this same delivery family includes direct-hire (W-2) light-truck work — taxes withheld, benefits, and a set schedule instead of the 1099 grind.
- Amazon Flex delivery driver$15–19/hr take-home🗣️ Basic English⏱️ A few days· Minimum age 21.
- DoorDash delivery driver (Dasher)$9–11/hr take-home🗣️ Basic English⏱️ A few days· Minimum age to dash: 18 in most states; 21 in California; 19 in AZ, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, KY, MT, NJ, NM, TX, UT, WV.
- Uber rideshare driver$15–18/hr take-home🗣️ Conversational English⏱️ A week or two· CONFIRMED (2026-07-09): minimum age varies by city market — 25 in Los Angeles, Houston, and Seattle; 23 in Miami. In New York City, rideshare requires a TLC (Taxi and Limousine Commission) driver license, with age set by TLC rules rather than Uber's own page (Uber Eats delivery-only is 18+). Uber sets requirements by CITY market, not by state — other cities in the same state may differ.
- Light Truck Driver (W-2 delivery)$44,860/yr median🗣️ Basic English⏱️ A week or two🚗 No car needed· Minimum age 18 for typical non-CDL local delivery (21+ required for interstate driving under FMCSA).
Compare jobs in this group
- Amazon Flex delivery driver vs DoorDash delivery driver (Dasher) — Which delivery gig: DoorDash has a lower entry bar and can start faster; Flex shows block pay up front but blocks can be scarce.
- Amazon Flex delivery driver vs Uber rideshare driver — Packages vs passengers: Uber grosses more per hour but you carry passengers; Flex is packages only, no riders.
- Amazon Flex delivery driver vs Light Truck Driver (W-2 delivery) — 1099 gig vs W-2 job: A W-2 delivery job trades flexibility for taxes withheld, benefits, and workers' comp; Flex is a flexible 1099 with none of those.
- DoorDash delivery driver (Dasher) vs Amazon Flex delivery driver — Which delivery gig: Flex is packages on reserved blocks with pay shown up front; DoorDash is on-demand food with tips but a lower pay floor.
- DoorDash delivery driver (Dasher) vs Uber rideshare driver — Food vs passengers: Uber carries passengers and grosses more per hour; DoorDash is food delivery, no riders, lower entry bar.
- Uber rideshare driver vs Amazon Flex delivery driver — Passengers vs packages: Flex is packages only with no passenger contact; Uber grosses more but you drive riders and are rated on the interaction.
- Uber rideshare driver vs DoorDash delivery driver (Dasher) — Passengers vs food: DoorDash has a lower entry bar and no passengers; Uber needs an older-driver age in many cities and grosses more.
- Light Truck Driver (W-2 delivery) vs Amazon Flex delivery driver — W-2 job vs 1099 gig: This is a W-2 job — taxes withheld, benefits possible, workers' comp, and the employer provides the truck; Flex is a flexible 1099 where you use your own car and carry all costs and taxes.
- Light Truck Driver (W-2 delivery) vs DoorDash delivery driver (Dasher) — Steady W-2 vs on-demand gig: A route job has set hours and a steady paycheck; DoorDash lets you work whenever but with no benefits and income that swings by demand and tips.
- Light Truck Driver (W-2 delivery) vs Uber rideshare driver — Cargo vs passengers: A light-truck driver moves freight on a W-2 schedule; Uber is 1099 passenger driving with more people contact and rating pressure.