A Washington-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 Washington delivery week. Edit every field — the math updates live.
App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance (SMC 8.37). Seattle guarantees app-based delivery workers a minimum payment per offer: $0.47 per engaged minute plus $0.80 per engaged mile, or $5.34 per offer, whichever is greater. "Engaged time" runs from accepting an offer to completing it. Tips are paid on top and do not count toward the minimum. The per-mile rate is tied to the IRS standard mileage rate. This covers DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, Instacart and similar apps inside Seattle city limits.
Source: Seattle Office of Labor Standards (SMC 8.37, in effect since January 13, 2024). Last updated: September 27, 2026.
Washington 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 Washington's approximate average gas price of $4.05/ gallon and a zero state income tax 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 Washington, 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. The state minimum wage of $17.13/ 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.
Washington is one of the few jurisdictions with a specific legal pay floor for app-based delivery workers. Seattle enforces its App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance (SMC 8.37), summarized in the highlighted box above. It applies only inside Seattle city limits — drivers in Tacoma, Spokane, Bellevue, Everett, and the rest of Washington are not covered. 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 Washington drivers, and it moves with the local market. The default $4.05/ 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.
Seattle's App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance (SMC 8.37), in effect since January 13, 2024, guarantees a minimum payment on every offer performed inside Seattle city limits. The 2026 formula is $0.47 per engaged minute plus $0.80 per engaged mile, or a $5.34 flat minimum per offer, whichever is greater. "Engaged time" runs from the moment you accept an offer until you complete it. Tips are paid on top and do not count toward the minimum, and the per-mile rate is tied to the IRS standard mileage rate.
At $0.47 per minute, the time portion alone works out to about $28.20 per engaged hour before any mileage pay. The rule covers DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, Instacart, and similar apps. For reference, the 2025 rates were $0.45 per minute, $0.77 per mile, and $5.20 per offer.
Here is a worked example. A 20-minute, 4-mile Seattle delivery pays (20 × $0.47) + (4 × $0.80) = $9.40 + $3.20 = $12.60. Because that beats the $5.34 per-offer floor, the minimum for that offer is $12.60 before tips. If your platform pay comes in below the calculated minimum, the platform must make up the difference.
Seattle's minimum raised pay per offer, but it did not automatically raise hourly earnings. A National Bureau of Economic Research study and DoorDash's own data both found that after the rule took effect, order volume in Seattle fell and couriers spent more unpaid time waiting between orders. With fewer offers coming in, earnings across all logged-in time did not rise as much as the per-offer increase suggested.
The lesson is to track your earnings per logged-in hour, not per order. A higher minimum per offer only helps if you still receive enough offers to fill your shift. Watch your total weekly take-home after fuel, mileage, and taxes — the number the calculator above estimates — rather than judging a single payout.
Outside Seattle city limits there is no delivery-specific minimum pay law in Washington. DoorDash and Grubhub pay their standard per-delivery rates — base pay plus 100% of tips plus incentives — with no per-minute or per-mile floor. Washington's rideshare driver pay law covers Uber and Lyft passenger trips, not food delivery, so it does not apply to DoorDash or Grubhub couriers.
Use Washington's 2026 state minimum wage of $17.13 per hour as a benchmark to compare your net hourly earnings against. Remember that this wage is for employees; as an independent contractor you are not guaranteed it, but it is a useful reference point for whether your take-home after costs is competitive. Seattle's city minimum wage of $21.30 per hour applies to employees inside Seattle and is another reference point, not a courier pay floor.
Washington has no state income tax, so couriers pay only federal income tax plus 15.3% self-employment tax on net business earnings (the self-employment tax covers Social Security and Medicare, which an employer would otherwise split with you). That is one fewer tax bill to worry about than in states like California or New York.
Because nothing is withheld from your platform deposits, plan to pay quarterly estimated taxes to the IRS — the deadlines are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. Setting aside roughly 25–35% of your net profit each week makes those payments manageable. Tracking every business mile lets you claim the IRS standard mileage deduction ($0.76/mile for July–December 2026), which lowers your taxable income and is one of the biggest tax benefits available to delivery drivers.
Beyond the minimum pay floor, Seattle requires delivery apps to show you upfront offer information — pay, distance, and estimated time — before you accept a trip, so you can judge whether an order is worth taking. Seattle also provides paid sick and safe time for app-based workers, and newer city rules add deactivation protections that limit how and when a platform can remove your access. These protections apply within Seattle city limits; check the Seattle Office of Labor Standards for current details.
See how other jurisdictions set delivery pay floors: California (Prop 22) and New York (NYC $22.13/hr).
DoorDash Minimum Pay 2026: California vs New York City Rules →
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 Washington 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 Washington.
Yes. As an independent contractor you owe self-employment tax (15.3%) on net earnings plus federal income tax. Washington has no state income tax, which lowers your total tax bill. 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. Seattle, WA enforces the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance (SMC 8.37). Seattle guarantees app-based delivery workers a minimum payment per offer: $0.47 per engaged minute plus $0.80 per engaged mile, or $5.34 per offer, whichever is greater. "Engaged time" runs from accepting an offer to completing it. Tips are paid on top and do not count toward the minimum. The per-mile rate is tied to the IRS standard mileage rate. This covers DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, Instacart and similar apps inside Seattle city limits. Source: Seattle Office of Labor Standards (SMC 8.37, in effect since January 13, 2024). 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 Washington 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.
Yes. Seattle guarantees at least $0.47 per engaged minute plus $0.80 per engaged mile, or $5.34 per offer, whichever is greater, before tips. The rule applies to offers performed inside Seattle city limits.
No. Seattle's App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance applies only to offers performed inside Seattle city limits. Bellevue, Tacoma, Spokane, Everett, and the rest of Washington have no delivery-specific minimum pay law.
No. Washington has no state income tax. Couriers pay federal income tax and 15.3% self-employment tax on net earnings, with quarterly estimated payments due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
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.