UberEats & FoodPanda Driver Earnings (Taiwan)
Food Delivery drivers don’t make a ton of money in Taiwan, however it’s definitely a good job choice for certain types of people and people who are in certain stages of their life’s.
Primarily we’d say it’s best to avoid being a food delivery driver as a job unless you’re trying to get-ahead and build a savings and are willing to work over-time doing so to make good money — or if you just are a student who wants to earn a little extra money to supplement your living expenses. It’s a good job in those scenarios, however we’d say for a long-term job or career it’s a terrible choice.
As for how much food delivery drivers earn in Taiwan, generally you can expect (per month) anywhere from a few thousand $NTD if you only work a bit, all the way up to $NTD 90,000 a month. Technically some drivers have earned up to $NTD 180,000 in a month, however these are VERY rare cases and are not realistic unless you work all day every day and break rules (speeding, driving on sidewalks, driving for both apps at the same time).
Realistically you can expect about $NTD 25,000 if you work a regular work week every week for a month up to about $70,000 -> $85,000 NTD if you work very heavily, hard, and honestly, and work around 50-60hours/week depending on the city you live/work in.
What are the Requirements to Deliver for UberEats or Foodpanda?
The requirements are relatively simple and straight-forward — so long as you’re a taiwanese citizen or have a work-visa you can work as a delivery driver so long as you have a motorbike and license to drive one and are over the age of 18.
Beyond this there’s no real requirements, however you should have driven a motorbike quite a bit before and be able to drive it well, as well as ideally know the city you plan to drive in quite well, as you don’t want to have to rely on maps to get you to your delivery location all the time, as not only does it take more time, but it’s incredibly annoying to rely on a map for your deliveries.
Should You Become a UberEats or Foodpanda Delivery Driver?
As we mentioned at the start of this article, it really depends on your situation.
We’d say if you are a college student looking for a little extra money for some part-time work on the weekends, or if you just are out of college or aren’t going to college and looking to build a saving to buy your own motorbike (if you use your families) or to travel a little abroad, or whatever it may be, and don’t mind working hard to achieve what you desire, then being a food-delivery driver in taiwan is a good choice for a few months at least. It’s hard work, but truly how hard and much you work determines how much you get paid, so if you don’t mind working all day then you can really earn a fantastic amount of money quite quickly.
But we don’t believe you should see working as delivery driver as a career — your pay won’t go up and the work won’t get easier. Treat it as side-income or treat it as a way to give yourself a boost up in life, getting enough money for a new motorbike, or money to buy a good labtop for you to make money online, something meaningful.
How Much Can You Make Being a Driver Throughout Taiwan?
You can make either just some extra money if you work a few hours a week, or you can earn a very very good wage if you work overtime. As mentioned above you can expect around 25,000 $NTD a month if you work a moderate-average work week (30 -> 40 hours/week) to around 75,000 $NTD a month if you work over-time and attentively (55+ hours/week) and always do peak-times while also working weekends. Keep in mind I’m taking expenses of gas and motorbike repairs out, this is what you should keep before taxes.
Those figures are for most cities in Taiwan, if you’re in Taipei you’ll be compensated and make a little more in most cases. But if you’re in Taichung, Tainan, or Kaohsiung you can expect about that. A little less if you’re in a township or smaller city such a Puli township by moon lake.
Generally what this all means is you get a bit better than most service jobs or minimum wage, a little bit more, unless you work over-time and work weekends/peak-hours. If you do work them as well you can make quite good money. Just keep in mind you’ll have to work in the heat on a motorbike and potentially in the rain during monsoon season (May -> August), which makes it not the best job during certain times of the year.
How Can You Increase These Earnings?
Other than driving during “peak hours” (usually meal times) and working on weekends, make sure you enable the option for English-deliveries/clients, as generally foreigners are more likely to tip (give extra money/gift if delivery was quick) and tips really go a long way for delivery drivers in Taiwan, as a single delivery likely only nets between 20 $NTD and 40 $NTD unless it’s an expensive order, so even a small tip really helps out in terms of income.
Beyond this though, there’s nothing more you can really do. Everything else puts you at-risk of accidents/injury (going too fast) or being fired/banned (working for both companies at once), so really beyond those all you can do is work more hours if you want to earn more as a delivery driver in Taiwan.
