Uber drivers earn $90,000 a year
| Uber drivers earn $90,000 a year | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Uber drivers in New York City could earn a median income of more than $90,000 a year, and about $74,000 in San Francisco." | |
| Domain | Economy & Labor |
| Tactic | Statistical & Evidentiary Distortion |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2014 |
| Origin | Uber's driver recruitment advertising and website, 2014 onward |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-30 |
| Further reading: books on Economy & Labor | |
To recruit drivers, Uber advertised that the median income for UberX drivers was more than $90,000 a year in New York City and about $74,000 in San Francisco. It also advertised vehicle financing deals as offering the best terms possible.
The Federal Trade Commission found the figures were not true.
What the evidence shows
- Actual earnings. The FTC said only fewer than 10 percent of drivers in New York earned the advertised amount. The actual median was about $61,000 in New York and $53,000 in San Francisco, before expenses such as gas and car payments.
- Financing. The FTC also said Uber misrepresented the terms of its car-financing program.
- Settlement. In January 2017, Uber agreed to pay $20 million to settle the FTC charges.
Why it matters
Recruitment ads that overstate pay draw people into work based on false expectations, often taking on car loans to do so.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, "Uber Agrees to Pay $20 Million to Settle FTC Charges That It Recruited Prospective Drivers with Exaggerated Earnings Claims," January 19, 2017.
- FTC v. Uber Technologies, Inc., complaint, January 2017.
- Reuters, "Uber to pay $20 million to settle U.S. claims it misled drivers," January 19, 2017.