Lyft Peak Hours – When the Lyft Drivers should Work to Make the Most Money?

Peak hours are the best time for Lyft drivers to make money. Usually, 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM are considered peak hours for Lyft. Therefore, Lyft drivers should drive between 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM to earn the most money.

Key Takeaways

• Lyft peak hours allow Lyft drivers to earn more money from the same type of trips made during the whole day
• Morning Lyft peak hours are from 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM
• Evening Lyft peak hours are from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Lyft offers 8 types of ride services
• Lyft has more than 19 million active users
• There are more than 2 million registered drivers on Lyft
• Lyft ride earnings are calculated based on the “Rate Card”    
• Lyft drivers can keep the 100% tip that they get from the customer
• Bay Area, California is the highest-paid city where Lyft drivers earn the most

Company Overview: Lyft

Established in June 2012 by John Zimmer, and Logan Green, Lyft is a very popular ride-sharing company in the USA. It is a San Francisco, California-based company that offers various ride-based services in more than 650 cities in the USA as well as in some selective cities in Canada. The ride services offered by Lyft are –

• Lyft
• Lyft XL
• Lyft Line
• Lyft Lux
• Priority Pickup
• Preferred Mode
• Shared Rides
• Lyft Wait & Save  

Apart from that Lyft also offers motorized scooters and food delivery services in USA and Canada. Lyft has more than 19 million active users and made $3.2 billion in revenue in 2021. The registered drivers of Lyft are 2 million which makes it one of the largest rides sharing companies in the world.

What are Lyft Peak Hours?

Lyft peak hours refer to the best time for Lyft drivers to drive their vehicles and earn the most. In this period, the numbers of customers are most so there will be high demand for Lyft rides. You can compare peak hours with rush hours for a business. Usually, there are two peak hours for Lyft drivers in a day. One is in the early morning from 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM and another is in the evening from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Lyft drivers can expect an increased number of customers during peak hours compared to the average hours of the day.

Peak hours play a very important role in the total earnings of a Lyft driver. This is because; in peak hours Lyft pays a “surge fee.” This is a type of fee that Lyft offers to its drivers to encourage them to drive more during peak hours. Another advantage of Lyft’s peak hours is you don’t have to wait for the customers. You will find a constant stream of customers in this time frame.

How Lyft Ride Earnings are Calculated?

The ride earnings of a Lyft driver are calculated based on the rate card. The rate card is a type of payment calculation card and it includes a base fare, time, and total distance of the ride. Moreover, the ride earnings also consist of tips or bonuses given by the customer. Three key elements of Lyft ride are –

• Base Fare: This is the payment you receive for a ride
• Time: Total duration of the ride and your earnings per minute
• Distance: Total distance of the ride and your earnings for every mile you drive

Moreover, if you receive tips from the customer then you can keep 100% of the tip amount. The Lyft customer can pay the tip using the Lyft app or by cash. Also, you can earn money from various bonuses once you complete a ride. If you become eligible for a bonus then you will receive a notification on your Lyft app.

When is the Best Time for Lyft Drivers to Earn the Most Money?

If you are a Lyft driver and wondering when is the best time to earn the most money then you should always consider two time frames: peak hours and hot spots. I have already discussed peak hours so I will skip “peak hours” and discuss the “Hot Spots”. Hot Spots are a key feature of Lyft and you will find them on the map in the Lyft app’s Driver Mode. Hot Spots mark the locations where the Lyft drivers will get the maximum earnings. Moreover, Lyft also indicates the location from where most customers are requesting the ride. So, if you can combine the peak hours with hot spots then you will be able to maximize your Lyft earnings.

Moreover, you will also get surge pricing at the evenings of the end of weeks like Friday and Saturday. On the weekends, you should position your vehicles near nightclubs, bars, theaters, etc. because these locations will offer you plenty of ride options. On the day-time weekends, you won’t find many customers in these locations. Therefore, you should position yourself in the residential areas. During weekends you will find rides in the errands because people visit nearby parks, beaches, lakes, etc. You should also keep eye on local events like concerts, rallies, conventions, etc. because these events draw large crowds and large crowds mean lots of ride requests and higher income potential.

List of Cities Where Lyft Drivers Earn Most

1. Bay Area, California — $23.28
2. Seattle, Washington — $22.67
3. San Jose, California — $22.27
4. New York, New York — $21.68
5. Boston, Massachusetts — $21.39
6. New Jersey — $20.58
7. Denver, Colorado — $18.41
8. Washington, DC — $18.28
9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — $18.17
10. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — $17.82
11. Baltimore, Maryland — $17.79
12. Detroit, Michigan — $17.69
13. Chicago, Illinois — $17.52
14. Phoenix, Arizona — $17.38
15. Austin, Texas — $17.37
16. Kansas City, Missouri — $17.24
17. Los Angeles, California — $17.07
18. San Diego, California — $16.75
19. Dallas, Texas — $15.84
20. Las Vegas, Nevada — $15.77
21. Charlotte, North Carolina — $15.53
22. Houston, Texas — $14.93
23. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — $14.93
24. Miami, Florida — $14.81
25. Indianapolis, Indiana — $14.70
26. Nashville, Tennessee — $14.47
27. Columbus, Ohio — $14.45
28. Atlanta, Georgia — $14.31
29. New Orleans, Louisiana — $13.72
30. Jacksonville, Florida — $13.63
31. San Antonio, Texas — $13.27
32. Tampa, Florida — $12.71

State Wise Lyft Drivers Salary in the USA 2022

Name of the State	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Massachusetts Washington New York Maryland Virginia Colorado Nebraska Delaware New Hampshire California South Carolina Idaho Arkansas Vermont Hawaii Nevada Kentucky New Jersey Michigan Oklahoma Connecticut Tennessee Rhode Island Alaska Maine Arizona Illinois Wyoming Oregon Minnesota Missouri Montana North Dakota Indiana West Virginia Texas Pennsylvania Wisconsin South Dakota Ohio Iowa Utah North Carolina Kansas New Mexico Alabama Mississippi Florida Georgia Louisiana	58,736 54,225 52,473 52,162 51,107 50,024 49,896 49,694 49,517 $49,367 $49,190 $48,969 $48,850 $48,219 $48,006 $47,719 $47,619 $47,418 $47,222 $47,122 $46,467 $46,410 $46,211 $46,173 $46,159 $46,147 $46,129 $45,885 $45,523 $45,474 $45,357 $45,192 $45,113 $44,742 $44,104 $43,462 $43,294 $42,979 $42,894 $42,854 $42,402 $42,216 $41,462 $41,029 $40,985 $40,842 $39,988 $39,585 $36,908 $36,408	4,894 4,518 4,372 4,346 4,258 4,168 4,158 4,141 $4,126 $4,113 $4,099 $4,080 $4,070 $4,018 $4,000 $3,976 $3,968 $3,951 $3,935 $3,926 $3,872 $3,867 $3,850 $3,847 $3,846 $3,845 $3,844 $3,823 $3,793 $3,789 $3,779 $3,766 $3,759 $3,728 $3,675 $3,621 $3,607 $3,581 $3,574 $3,571 $3,533 $3,518 $3,455 $3,419 $3,415 $3,403 $3,332 $3,298 $3,075 $3,034	$1,129 $1,042 $1,009 $1,003 $982 $962 $959 $955 $952 $949 $945 $941 $939 $927 $923 $917 $915 $911 $908 $906 $893 $892 $888 $887 $887 $887 $887 $882 $875 $874 $872 $869 $867 $860 $848 $835 $832 $826 $824 $824 $815 $811 $797 $789 $788 $785 $769 $761 $709 $700	$28.24 $26.07 $25.23 $25.08 $24.57 $24.05 $23.99 $23.89 $23.81 $23.73 $23.65 $23.54 $23.49 $23.18 $23.08 $22.94 $22.89 $22.80 $22.70 $22.66 $22.34 $22.31 $22.22 $22.20 $22.19 $22.19 $22.18 $22.06 $21.89 $21.86 $21.81 $21.73 $21.69 $21.51 $21.20 $20.90 $20.81 $20.66 $20.62 $20.60 $20.39 $20.30 $19.93 $19.73 $19.70 $19.64 $19.23 $19.03 $17.74 $17.50

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyft

https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/driver/articles/115013080008

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-Professional-LYFT-Driver-Salary-by-State

Last Updated on December 25, 2023 by Magalie D.