A California-specific calculator with the local average gas price and tax situation pre-filled. See your true net take-home after fuel, maintenance, self-employment tax, and income tax — using the correct 2026 IRS mileage rate.
Defaults reflect a typical California delivery week. Edit every field — the math updates live.
Proposition 22 — Guaranteed Minimum Net Earnings. For 2026, app-based delivery drivers are guaranteed at least 120% of the local minimum wage for every engaged hour, which is at least $20.28/hour at the $16.90 statewide minimum and higher in cities with a higher local minimum wage, plus $0.37 per engaged mile for vehicle expenses. Tips are not counted toward this floor and are paid on top. Drivers who average 15+ engaged hours per week also qualify for a healthcare stipend, and platforms must provide occupational accident insurance.
Source: California Proposition 22 (Business and Professions Code §7453); per-mile rate set annually by the California State Treasurer. Last updated: September 26, 2026.
California delivery drivers work as independent contractors for DoorDash and Grubhub, which means your earnings are built entirely from per-delivery pay — base pay, 100% of customer tips, and platform incentives — with no hourly wage, no paycheck withholding, and no employer-paid benefits. The calculator above is pre-filled with California's approximate average gas price of $4.55/ gallon and a state income tax estimate so the take-home figure reflects conditions where you actually drive.
The 2026 IRS standard mileage rate is $0.725/ mile for deliveries made January 1 through June 30, and $0.76/ mile from July 1 through December 31. This mid-year increase (Announcement 2026-11) matters because it is the deduction you use to offset delivery income on your tax return — a higher rate means a bigger deduction and a lower tax bill. Our calculator applies the correct rate automatically based on the delivery date you enter.
As a contractor in California, you owe self-employment tax of 15.3% on your net business earnings (covering Social Security and Medicare, which an employer would otherwise split with you), plus federal income tax, and California state income tax. The state minimum wage of $16.90/ hour is a useful reference point, but it is not legally binding for gig workers — you are not an employee. Plan to set aside roughly 25–35% of your net profit for taxes and pay quarterly estimated taxes to avoid underpayment penalties.
California is one of the few jurisdictions with a specific legal pay floor for app-based delivery workers. California enforces this through Proposition 22, summarized in the highlighted box above. If your platform pay falls below this floor, the platform is required to make up the difference. Always confirm the current rate with the official source, as these legal minimums are adjusted periodically.
Fuel is typically the largest variable cost for California drivers, and it moves with the local market. The default $4.55/ gallon figure is an approximate state average — edit it to match your regular station for a more accurate result. Maintenance (tires, oil, brakes) adds roughly $0.08/ mile based on AAA data, and dead miles — the distance you drive between paid deliveries — often account for a surprising share of total miles, so include them in your weekly total.
DoorDash generally offers higher order volume in most markets, while Grubhub's Perks Program can reward drivers who hit mileage thresholds. See our full DoorDash vs Grubhub pay comparison for the side-by-side breakdown.
The Prop 22 floor only covers engaged time: the period from accepting an order until you drop it off. Time spent waiting for your next offer, and the miles you drive while waiting, do not count toward the guarantee. This is why many California drivers earn less per online hour than the $20.28 figure suggests.
Here is a worked example. Say you are online for 25 hours in a week, and 15 of those hours and 150 of your miles are engaged time. Your Prop 22 minimum for the week is 15 × $20.28 = $304.20 for time, plus 150 × $0.37 = $55.50 for mileage, for a total of $359.70 in non-tip earnings. If DoorDash or Grubhub paid you less than that in base pay and incentives, the platform adds the difference as a Prop 22 adjustment on your pay statement. Your tips are paid on top of this.
The Prop 22 mileage payment and the IRS mileage deduction are two different things. The $0.37 per engaged mile is money paid to you by the platform. The IRS standard mileage rate ($0.725 per mile before July 1, 2026 and $0.76 per mile from July 1) is a tax deduction you claim on all business miles, including miles driven between orders. Keep a mileage log of every business mile, not only engaged miles.
On top of federal self-employment tax and federal income tax, California has a progressive state income tax with rates from 1% up to 12.3% on the highest incomes. Gig platforms do not withhold state tax, so you are responsible for making estimated payments to the California Franchise Tax Board.
California's estimated tax schedule is different from the federal one. The state expects 30% of your yearly estimated tax by April 15, 40% by June 15, nothing in September, and the final 30% by January 15. Federal estimates are split into four equal payments. Setting aside part of every weekly payout makes these uneven California deadlines much easier to meet.
Because the Prop 22 floor is based on the local minimum wage at your pickup location, where you deliver affects your guaranteed minimum. Several California cities set a local minimum wage above the $16.90 statewide rate, which raises the Prop 22 floor for deliveries picked up there. Dense metro areas such as Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Sacramento usually offer more order volume and shorter trips, but they also come with higher gas prices, parking challenges, and more dead miles in traffic. Adjust the gas price and miles fields in the calculator to match your own market.
Is There a Minimum Pay for DoorDash Drivers? California vs New York City in 2026 →
A side-by-side breakdown of California’s Prop 22 floor and NYC’s $22.13/hr rule, with worked examples.
Both platforms classify drivers as independent contractors, so there is no hourly wage or paycheck — your pay is built from per-delivery components. The structure is similar on both, but the details differ enough to matter for your bottom line.
Base Pay ($2–$10/delivery by distance, time, desirability) + 100% of tips + Peak Pay ($1–$8/delivery in high-demand windows). DoorDash earns from restaurant commissions and customer fees — it does not take a cut of your pay.
Base pay (calculated from distance + delivery type + time) + 100% of tips + Perks Program incentives for hitting mileage thresholds. Instant Cash Out is available.
Gross pay is only half the story. As an independent contractor you cover your own vehicle costs and set aside your own taxes. Our calculator subtracts these line items so you see true take-home, not just the deposit.
DoorDash pay in California is built from Base Pay ($2–$10 per delivery, set by distance, time, and desirability), 100% of customer tips, and Peak Pay ($1–$8 per delivery during high-demand windows). There is no hourly wage — your earnings depend on order volume, tips, and when you dash. Use the calculator above to estimate your true net after fuel, maintenance, and taxes.
Grubhub calculates base pay from distance, delivery type, and time, then adds 100% of tips and Perks Program incentives for drivers hitting mileage thresholds. Like DoorDash, drivers are independent contractors with no guaranteed hourly rate. Instant Cash Out is available. The calculator above models a typical Grubhub week in California.
Yes. As an independent contractor you owe self-employment tax (15.3%) on net earnings plus federal income tax, and California levies state income tax. You can deduct vehicle costs using the IRS standard mileage rate ($0.76/mile for Jul–Dec 2026). Set aside roughly 25–35% of net profit for taxes, and pay quarterly estimated taxes to avoid penalties.
Yes. California (statewide) enforces the Proposition 22 — Guaranteed Minimum Net Earnings. For 2026, app-based delivery drivers are guaranteed at least 120% of the local minimum wage for every engaged hour, which is at least $20.28/hour at the $16.90 statewide minimum and higher in cities with a higher local minimum wage, plus $0.37 per engaged mile for vehicle expenses. Tips are not counted toward this floor and are paid on top. Drivers who average 15+ engaged hours per week also qualify for a healthcare stipend, and platforms must provide occupational accident insurance. Source: California Proposition 22 (Business and Professions Code §7453); per-mile rate set annually by the California State Treasurer. Always confirm the current rate, as these legal floors are adjusted periodically.
The pay structures are similar — base pay plus 100% of tips plus incentives — but DoorDash tends to have higher order volume in most California markets, while Grubhub's Perks Program rewards mileage thresholds. DoorDash offers Peak Pay during busy windows; Grubhub offers Instant Cash Out. Most drivers maximize earnings by running both apps simultaneously. See our side-by-side comparison for the full breakdown.
No. The Prop 22 earnings floor only covers engaged time, from accepting an order until drop-off. Time spent online waiting for offers is not covered, so your real hourly pay across all online hours is usually below the $20.28 engaged-hour floor.
Yes. The $0.37 per engaged mile under Prop 22 is compensation paid by the platform, while the IRS standard mileage rate ($0.725/mile before July 1, 2026 and $0.76/mile from July 1) is a tax deduction for all your business miles. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
Your estimate starts from your weekly payout and subtracts fuel (using your state's average gas price, pre-filled and editable), maintenance, and other weekly costs, then applies self-employment tax and federal and state income tax using the 2026 IRS mileage rates (72.5¢ per mile January–June, 76¢ from July 1). The result is your true net weekly and hourly take-home.