How much do Instacart drivers make? Instacart does not publish an hourly or weekly figure for its delivering shoppers, and the pay that you see on an order is only part of the picture. Full-service shoppers pay for their own fuel and maintenance, so what counts is what is left after costs. This guide uses only what Instacart itself says about pay, plus IRS figures for costs and taxes, and it leaves the sign-up rules to a separate guide.
How much do Instacart shoppers make, according to Instacart?
Instacart’s shopper pages say that how much a shopper earns depends on the role and other factors, and that full-service shoppers, who are independent contractors, can work as little or as often as they want, so total earnings depend on the individual.[1] It does not give an average or a range. We do not repeat third-party averages, because none traces to an Instacart page.
The role matters. In-store shoppers are Instacart employees who earn an hourly wage stated in their offer letter and are scheduled for shifts of up to 29 hours a week.[2] The rest of this guide is about full-service shoppers, the people who shop and deliver in their own cars. Applicants can check Instacart driver requirements first.
How does Instacart pay full-service shoppers?
Instacart says shoppers get paid per batch that they complete, and that the amount of a batch depends on the number of items, the type of items, the driving distance and the effort involved in shopping and delivering. It also says the app provides estimates for each order and total earnings for the week, and that shoppers always see the upfront earnings before accepting a batch.
| Part of pay | What Instacart says |
|---|---|
| Batch pay | Set per batch from items, item types, distance and effort |
| Customer tips | Shoppers keep 100%; Instacart takes no part |
| Promotions | Batch incentives, quality bonuses and peak boosts are listed among earnings components |
| Upfront view | Earnings are shown before a batch is accepted |
The same pages list batch incentives, quality bonuses, peak boosts and customer tips as parts of earnings. They do not say how large any of them is, so there is nothing to quote.
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How do tips work for an Instacart driver?
Instacart says customers have 24 hours to adjust their tip amount, and that once this period ends the tips are finalized and available for instant cashout. Track tips separately from batch pay, because the tip can change after delivery.
How do you get paid, and when?
Instacart says shoppers are paid weekly by direct deposit, for work between Monday and Sunday of the previous week, and mails a check if direct deposit is not set up. It also offers instant cashout to shoppers who qualify, with funds available as soon as 2 hours after a batch. Fuel is paid first, and the money comes later.
Do Instacart delivery drivers pay for gas?
Yes. Instacart tells full-service shoppers that, as independent contractors, they use their own vehicle and pay for their own maintenance and fuel, and that some of these costs may be deductible as business expenses. Instacart does not say it pays for gas, mileage or repairs. That makes the car the largest cost you control.
For tax purposes the IRS publishes a business mileage rate: 72.5 cents per mile through June 30, 2026 and 76 cents per mile from July 1 to December 31, 2026.[3] Treat it as a deduction rule rather than the true price of a mile, and keep a log, since the IRS expects records.
What taxes come out of Instacart pay?
Instacart says taxes are not withheld from a shopper’s pay and that it sends a 1099-MISC to anyone who earns more than $600 in a tax year. Whatever arrives in the mail, the income is yours to report. Self-employed people also owe self-employment tax, which the IRS gives as 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security plus 2.9% for Medicare.[4] Many shoppers hold back part of each payout for it.
This is general information, not tax advice. Your own filing situation decides what you owe.
An illustration: what one batch can leave
Every dollar figure below is made up to show the arithmetic, and none is Instacart pay data. Only the IRS rate and percentage are official.
| Line | Illustrative figure |
|---|---|
| Batch pay shown before accepting | $18.00 |
| Customer tip | $6.00 |
| Total before costs | $24.00 |
| Miles driven for the batch | 15 |
| Mileage deduction at 76 cents per mile | $11.40 |
| Profit after the mileage deduction | $12.60 |
| Self-employment tax at 15.3% of profit (upper estimate) | $1.93 |
The mileage deduction is a tax figure: your real fuel and wear may differ, and income tax is not included. Divide what is left by the full time the batch took, not the time in the store alone.
Instacart shopper vs driver: is there a difference in pay?
Instacart’s pages call the delivering role a full-service shopper. A full-service shopper does both jobs and is paid per batch for the shopping and the delivery together, while an in-store shopper is paid hourly and does not deliver. So when you ask how much an Instacart driver makes, the answer is the full-service batch pay plus tips, minus your own costs. For a side-by-side look, see whether Instacart pays more than DoorDash.
Does Instacart pay well enough to rely on?
Instacart makes no claim about a minimum. Test it over two or three weeks:
- Write down the pay and tip for each batch.
- Log all miles, even the unpaid drive to the first store.
- Subtract fuel and a wear allowance.
- Reserve a share for self-employment tax.
- Divide the remainder by every hour you were logged in.
