Jacksonville, FL DoorDash Anniversary Review: Insights After One Year

It’s been a few months since my first anniversary as a Dasher. Since then, I took on another part-time job and haven’t been dashing as much. With the new calendar year, I usually reflect and note lessons learned that might be helpful for future reference.

2024 Individual Stats*

Miles Driven23,165
Deliveries2,185
Gross Earnings$21,185
Base Pay$9,208
Tips$11,571
Deliveries with No Tips159
Catering/Large Orders40
Active Time765 hours
Dash Time1,416 hours
Earnings per Mile Driven$0.91
Average Earnings per Active Delivery Hour$27.69
Average Earnings per Hours Dashing$14.96
Average Earnings per Delivery$9.70
Dashing Per Offer60%
Dashing By Time40%
Average earnings per delivery (per offer)$9.17
Average earnings per delivery (by time)$9.65

* rounded numbers


Trend Analysis Using Perplexity AI

Based on the data from November 9, 2023, through January 3, 2025, here are the updated trends over time:

Overall Performance Trends

  1. Earnings per delivery: There’s a gradual upward trend over time. Early entries show averages around $7-$8 per delivery, while later entries often exceed $10 per delivery.
  2. Earnings per mile: This metric shows improvement, with later entries frequently surpassing $1 per mile compared to earlier entries often below $0.70 per mile.
  3. Earnings per active hour: Remains relatively stable, typically ranging between $20-$30 per active hour. Occasional spikes occur, such as $42.33 per active hour on December 16, 2023.
  4. Earnings per dash hour: Shows consistent improvement. Early entries often show $10-$12 per dash hour, while later entries frequently exceed $15 per dash hour.
  5. Miles per delivery: Remains relatively consistent throughout the period, typically ranging from 10-20 miles per delivery.

Strategy and Efficiency Trends

  1. Payment method: There’s a noticeable shift towards the “by time” payment method in later entries, suggesting the dasher found this method more profitable over time.
  2. Scheduling: The dasher becomes more strategic with scheduling, noting that certain time slots (e.g., 7-7:30 AM) are consistently less profitable.
  3. Order selection: The dasher becomes more selective with orders, often declining low-paying or far-distance orders to maximize efficiency.
  4. Time management: There’s an increasing trend of using unscheduled “Dash Now” opportunities to supplement income, especially during typically busy periods.
  5. Customer knowledge: The dasher starts recognizing regular customers and their ordering patterns, which could lead to more efficient deliveries.

These trends suggest an overall improvement in efficiency and earnings over time, with the dasher adapting strategies based on experience and local patterns.


Contextual Notes

  • Primary Delivery Area: FL: JAX Southside
  • Many Dashers only dash per offer but I spent about 40% of my total dash hours dashing by time.
  • Over the first year, I adjusted my strategy and approach as I became more comfortable and as I got a better sense of what was working well (and what wasn’t) in my area.