Just one year after its enactment, California’s Proposition 22 has led to increased pay for Doordash drivers (also known as dashers) in the state.
Prop 22 guaranteed dashers 120% of minimum wage in their local communities while they were delivering orders (not waiting for orders) and has boosted statewide pay for dashers to $34 an hour on average with $36 in the Bay Area.
California Dashers earned an average of $34 per hour while on deliveries according to the company, including 100% of tips– 32% more in 2021 under Prop 22 than in 2020, showing an overall increase in earnings since the policy’s implementation. While Dashers’ earnings went up, they continued to dash for just a few hours per week: in 2021 the average Dasher in California worked less than 3 hours per week. In fact, over 91% of California Dashers spent less than 10 hours per week on deliveries in 2021.
With over a year of learnings and data, Doordash has released data and pay for drivers in the state. On average, in 2021:
- Bay Area Dashers earned around $36 per hour while on deliveries, a 28% increase from 2020
- Sacramento Dashers earned about $33 per hour while on deliveries, a 29% increase from 2020
- Los Angeles Dashers earned around $33 per hour while on deliveries, a 32% increase from 2020
- San Diego Dashers earned around $33 per hour while on deliveries, a 32% increase from 2020
“Family means everything to me – and ever since my fiancée started struggling with her health, I have to be available for last minute doctor appointments and support,” said David M, California Dasher, Member of California Dasher Advisory Group. “That’s why flexibility is so important to me – dashing makes it possible for me to earn where and when I want. Even better, since the passage of Prop 22, I’ve made more money, and relied on the new healthcare stipend to help cover medical expenses. The protections have been absolutely critical to keeping my family secure and in good spirits over the past year.”
While California drivers have seen a boost in pay, dashers in the rest of the country are getting paid less. Doordash reduced payouts to drivers outside of California last year from a $3 minimum pay to as low as $2 per delivery. The company has also cut payouts for larger catering orders as well.
Doordash says drivers nationwide are earning an average of $25 per hour. Dashers are now more reliant on customer tips than ever before for income and are responsible for paying their own gas used on deliveries and maintenance on their own vehicles.
Doordash reports over 3 million dashers making deliveries across the country. In California, the company says around 670,000 Dashers worked in 2021—including over 360,000 new Dashers who joined the platform and dashed in California for the first time.
According to the company’s 2021 national survey:
- 73% of California Dashers deliver more at certain times of the week, month, or year to reach a financial goal like paying off bills, caring for family, buying gifts, and saving for a big purchase.
- 68% of California Dashers use DoorDash to make up for lost hours/reduced hours at work. Of that group, 53% reported dashing to avoid applying for government benefits.
Doordash is the nation’s leading food delivery service and also delivers from retailers like Walmart, Macy’s, convenience stores and supermarket chains. The company remains unprofitable and its stock has dropped 46% in the past year.
