Amazon Flex

What: Amazon Flex hires drivers to deliver packages for the nation’s largest online retailer, paying a minimum of $18 per hour

Expected pay: $18 to $25 per hour

Husl $core: $$$$

Where: Major U.S. cities

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. That’s mainly because Amazon Flex pays you for every hour you’re working — not just the hours that you’re actively engaged in a delivery.

Amazon is also relatively transparent about who gets paid what. Most people earn $18 per hour. People who have large vehicles and deliver during the busiest times (or deliver Amazon Fresh and Prime orders) earn as much as $25 an hour. 

That said, all driver experiences are not 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 dramatically 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.

Better options

Frankly, most delivery work pays poorly after account for expenses. But there are a few exceptions. 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 deliver 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.”