What: Deliver packages for the nation’s largest online retailer
Expected pay: $18 to $25 per hour
Husl $core: $$$$$
Where:
Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Denver, Kansas City, Kentucky, Greater Los Angeles Area, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle/Renton/Everett, Stockton (CA), St.Louis, Tampa, Tucson.
Job requirements:
- Must be 21 or older
- Have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance
- Have mid-size sedan or larger car or truck with an enclosed bed
- Have a smart phone
- Pass a background check.
Review: This is one of the few delivery jobs that will actually allow you to earn more than minimum wage, usually even after accounting for gas and wear and tear on your car. Amazon is also relatively transparent about who gets paid $18 (most people) and who can earn as much as $25 an hour (those with large vehicles, delivering during the busiest times and/or those who deliver Amazon Fresh or Prime Now products that can allow you to take tips.) Be aware, however, if you get a rural route that requires a lot of mileage, each hour you drive could use up between $6 and $10 worth of gas, depending on your car’s MPG and the type of traffic you encounter.
Drivers also complain about delivering to apartment buildings, since many won’t let you in unless you are able to reach the recipient or the apartment manager. If you can’t deliver, you have to bring the packages back to the warehouse, which could be dramatically out of your way and doesn’t count as part of your “block” for which you are paid. Like many other flexible jobs, there is no guarantee of how many hours you will get to work, either.
What their drivers have to say:
(These reviews from Indeed, Glassdoor and Reddit are edited only for grammar, clarity and space.)
“When you’re a flex driver, you login to the Amazon flex app. See if there are any blocks of time available. The app makes 3 – 4 hour deliver blocks available to you based up days and hours you entered into the app for your availability. If there are any delivery blocks available (most of the time there isnt, because others have grabbed the blocks but sometimes there is.) When you grab/accept a block, you will then go pick up the packages a local warehouse ( I say local but mine is 25 minutes away.) You back your car or truck to a platform, where a warehouse worker has placed 3 – 4 hours worth of packages in front of you. You scan them and put them in your vehicle and then press finish. The app will open a gps to your first delivery location. Most of the deliveries will be in the same area. Once at the delivery area, arrived button. Look for package. Scan it again. Take picture of where you left it ie front door. Then app will guide you to the next deliver location. Here in San Antonio, they pay 72 for 4 hour blocks, and 54 for 54 hour blocks. Sometimes they pay a little more if theyre having difficulty finding people for particular blocks. Blocks are generally in the early morning from 9:30 -1:30 or 5:30 – 8:30. You can do more than one block a day. Its very easy money. Sometimes you can get done faster than the allotted time, other times it will take you longer. To be efficient on gas take shorter routes to get to your delivery location if you know the area. They pay tax free direct deposit in 2-3 business days.”
“This is NOT a reliable source of income. I was using this in between jobs. I had 100% reliability rating and worked hard every day 2 -4 hour blocks a day (40 hrs per week). All of a sudden, I stopped getting blocks everyday. Then I would get maybe 1 here or there and low paying blocks. So I went from being able to support my family to fearing the bills coming up! They will cut you off with no rhyme or reason.”
“A while back someone posted “why do you hate apartments so much?”… today was the answer to that question. I had 11 packages in one complex. First of all, the buildings are not well labeled so good luck finding the apartments to begin with. I got 7 delivered up and down 3 flights of stairs. I took the rest to the leasing office where a worker berated me about being a “liar” for not attempting delivery first. “You get paid to deliver them to every apartment, you need to attempt delivery first! You guys lie and lie and lie. I have the number for your boss, he has told me you get paid to attempt delivery and I will get you fired for lying.” I explain that I already delivered 7, he continued berating me in front of tenants in the office. I said “I’m pretty sure Amazon never told you to talk to their employees this way. A little kindness goes a long way…” I had to return to the warehouse anyways, so I mentioned it to the supervisor and he said “Oh please, he doesn’t have anyone’s number. Don’t worry about it.”
