Uber drivers say that working for Uber has helped them financially, whether during the pandemic after losing a job, as a second job or just to save money for the things they want.

"At the time, it was due to the pandemic and I lost my extra income," Polinario Paz, a part-time Uber/Uber Eats driver from Tampa, Florida told Florida Business Daily. "So I thought it was a good way to just make extra income." 

Working as an Uber driver also helped Paz earn a supplemental income that he can use for the things he is passionate about.

"It was always to have that extra money just recently, just to have that extra money to do things that I like to do," he said. "I'm a musician, so I will find instruments. I'm also more used to, like to do handyman stuff and going in to fix people's houses and things like that, so it helps when it comes to buying extra stuff, but you don't really need." 

Paz reminded people who are earning extra to identify priorities. Spending on hobbies should not mean getting it from the main source of income. 

"It never intended to be," for his case, Paz said.

Ride, drive, get something to eat — Uber is present in 10,000 cities in 71 countries. The company has reported 19 million trips per day as of Dec. 31, with 118 million active monthly platform users. 

"Trips of 1.77 billion: Trips on our platform grew 8% QoQ and 23% YoY, with sequential growth in both mobility and delivery trips," Uber reported for the Fourth Quarter 2021. "Drivers and couriers earned an aggregate $9.5 billion during the quarter, with earnings up 56% YoY, outpacing Uber’s Gross Bookings growth of 51% YoY."

Uber is ranked No. 4 in a list from the Ways to Wealth called "32 Highest Paying Gig Economy Jobs for 2021" as it has an average pay of $18 per hour. This hourly rate is an estimate, as the hourly pay for an Uber driver depends on the driver's location and the demand for services. The pay rate also does not reflect out-of-pocket costs such as gas, vehicle maintenance and other necessary upkeep. Ranking No. 1 in the list was DoorDash, followed by Postmates Courier and Grubhub.

The global gig economy has been $204 billion USD in 2018 and is expected to be at $455 billion USD by 2023, which translates to a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 17.4% 

Upwork reports that about 12% of the U.S. workforce began taking gig work during the pandemic. The most frequently stated reason that these workers give for starting freelance jobs includes financial stability during the recession (75%).