Uber X Vs. Uber Black: How Much Money Will You Make?

With the wide array of services offered by Uber, drivers often find themselves faced with difficult, confusing decisions. The company’s Uber X program, dubbed “The Low-Cost Uber,” offers the lowest base fare, per minute and per mile charges available. Uber Black cars, on the other hand, command a higher overall fare due, in part, to their stricter vehicle and driver requirements. At HyreCar, we want drivers to make informed decisions, decisions that yield higher profits and greater satisfaction with their time spent driving.

So we asked: Really, what’s the difference between these two services? And, more importantly, what tangible benefits does a driver stand to gain by choosing Uber Black over Uber X?

The answer to this question, in this case, is quite simple: Uber Black drivers put themselves in a position to earn more money per minute, per mile and per fare. In fact, the disparity between the two services is so great that it may surprise you. The first and most measurable difference is in the base fare. While Uber X drivers earn a modest base fare of $2.20, Uber Black drivers bring in nearly four times that amount at $8.00.

Next, when you compare the two services’ per minute charges, Uber Black comes out on top at $0.65 per minute, nearly tripling Uber X’s $0.26. Again, when looking at per mile charges, Uber Black nearly triples Uber X’s $1.30 per mile, coming in at $3.75 per mile. To put these numbers into context, if we imagine a one hour drive on city streets, an Uber Black driver would rake in $140.75 whereas an Uber X driver would earn just $50.30.

Check out the huge disparity of fares in San Francisco

Going just by hourly rates, it’s the difference between making $15 an hour and $39 an hour!

Add to this the reduced competition faced by Uber Black drivers and you end up with the recipe for a more stable, more consistent financial future as an Uber driver. Taking these figures into consideration, we here at HyreCar have worked diligently to ease the transition into Uber’s premium service by giving drivers the opportunity to rent pre-certified vehicles for Uber black from both our app and website. So if you’re looking to up your earnings and get more miles (and money) out of your love for driving, have a look around!

Check out our guide on renting out your car in the HyreCar marketplace.