One Amazon driver has revealed exactly how much he gets paid for a day's work, but has shockingly clarified that it doesn't matter how many parcels he delivers as part of that route.
Gig-driven driving jobs have become a key part of modern employment across the world, as companies like Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart give people the opportunity to earn money for every delivery they complete.
Understandably this has driven people to try and deliver as many orders as possible to maximise their income, and times with low traffic can end up being a struggle, but one Amazon driver has revealed both the benefits and drawbacks of driving packages for the tech giant.
How much do Amazon pay drivers to deliver packages?
As reported by LADbible, TikToker 'alexthemech' has filmed a video explaining how much he gets paid in a single day as an Amazon driver in the UK, and it's probably not what you expect.
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Alex reveals that for a standard day you'd get paid £150 ($201), with that figure jumping up to £165 ($221) if you were driving a long wheelbase van, and both of those remain a standard set rate.
What this means is that you'll get paid the same about of money every single day no matter what, meaning that you could deliver 70 packages or 170 packages and still receive the same amount of money.
He adds that drivers also get 19p ($0.25) per mile back in fuel costs, you have to pay for your own with Amazon reimbursing part of it after two weeks.
"Some drivers that are relatively slow, take it nice and easy, they might have 70 stops a day, and then you've got drivers that are quick and might have 140 stops," Alex explains, "but the pay stays the same."
What are the benefits and drawbacks of this system?
Looking at it in comparison to drivers who get paid per delivery you can understand why some might be apprehensive, as it does limit your earnings on the upper end.
It's easy to see this as a drawback, but at the same time it does provide you with a stable and consistent floor that you know you're going to earn every day, no matter how many orders you're able to complete.
Gig drivers are wholly reliant on their being orders in the first place for them to pick up, and if a day is particularly quiet then you're left with significantly less pay, whereas for Alex and other Amazon drivers they know that they're guaranteed a flat rate.
He does explain that he's self employed in the comments, meaning that the £150 rate doesn't take into account any tax deductions, and Alex also adds that the fuel costs are the biggest frustration.
When replying to a comment asking if he's losing money thanks to the 19p-per-mile reimbursement, Alex wrote: "I usually lose about £5 ($6.70) per day in my van, but other drivers who have smaller 1.6 diesel vans make a couple of ££ each day."
It also appears as if Amazon used to offer 45p ($0.60) per mile in fuel when he started three years ago, but they have significantly dropped this figure ever since, cutting it by over 50%.