Amazon Flex

What: Amazon Flex enlists drivers to deliver packages for the nation’s largest online retailer, paying a minimum of $15 per hour

Expected pay: $15 to $25 per hour

Husl $core: $$$$

Where: Many major U.S. cities (find the list here)

Requirements:

• Must be 21 or older
• Have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance
• Own  mid-size sedan or larger car or truck with an enclosed bed
• Smart phone
• Pass a background check.

Review:

Amazon Flex offers one of the few delivery jobs that can allow you to earn more than minimum wage, usually even after accounting for gas and wear and tear on your car. The online retailer “contributes” between $15 and $19 to driver pay for each hour the driver works. However, some of its pay expectations are built around tips, which the site estimates based on average tips paid for similar blocks of business. 

Amazon Flex drivers are presented with time “blocks” that they can accept or ignore. For instance, the company may offer a 2-hour block, paying $36 to $50. The minimum you can earn if you take this block is $36. However, if you receive tips, you’ll earn more. Drivers get 100% of their tips.

The catch: Each block contains a set number of deliveries that Amazon believes can be completed within the time frame. But if your block takes more time, the company doesn’t pay you more. On the bright side, Amazon pays drivers twice a week, which is helpful for those who need to earn money fast.

That said, driver experiences are not all alike. Some complain about getting delivery blocks that are an hour or more from the warehouse — or that require delivering via a toll-road. You don’t get paid extra for the additional gas or costs. If you can’t deliver some of the packages in your block, you have to bring them back to the warehouse, which could be out of your way and doesn’t count as part of the time for which you are paid. Like many other flexible jobs, there is no guarantee of how many hours you will get to work, either.

Other recommendations

If you’re strong enough to help people move, consider Truxx (Husl$core: $$$$) UShip (HuslScore: $$$$), CitizenShipper (Husl$core: $$$$) and Dolly (Husl$core: $$$$)

For side hustles that require fewer expenses, check out Random Side Hustles that Anyone Can Do. 

If you like animals, consider signing up with Rover. You set your own rates for both watching and walking dogs, which allows many side hustlers to earn upwards of $30 per hour, with minimal costs. 

What their drivers have to say:

The app makes 3 – 4 hour delivery blocks available. If there are any delivery blocks available, you pick up the packages a local warehouse, where a warehouse worker places 3 – 4 hours worth of packages in front of you. You scan them and put them in your vehicle. The app will open a gps to your first delivery location. Most of the deliveries will be in the same area. They pay direct deposit in 2-3 business days.”