Seattle
OLS-reported actual base payment (observed)
tap to expand auditWhat was directly verified: Exact match. Seattle OLS App-Based Worker Research page (April 2026 report) states "The average network company payment, or 'base payment,' per engaged hour was $30.12, after subtracting mileage expenses incurred during actively engaged time." This is observed data from mandatory company reporting, not a calculated minimum. Covers Jan 15, 2024 to June 29, 2025 (first 18 months of SMC 8.37). Five largest network companies, 92,000 workers, 15 million offers.
What was directly verified: Exact match. Seattle OLS App-Based Worker Research page (April 2026 report) states "The average network company payment, or 'base payment,' per engaged hour was $30.12, after subtracting mileage expenses incurred during actively engaged time." This is observed data from mandatory company reporting, not a calculated minimum. Covers Jan 15, 2024 to June 29, 2025 (first 18 months of SMC 8.37). Five largest network companies, 92,000 workers, 15 million offers.
What was assumed (not directly verified)
The published net_hourly_usd: 21.86 is a tax/expense calculation derived from the gross figure.
Caveats a journalist should understand
This is the strongest data point in the dataset because (a) it's not a calculated floor — it's observed actual base payment from mandatory company submissions; (b) Seattle's SMC 8.37 ordinance is the strictest enforcement framework in the US; (c) the report distinguishes "engaged hour" pay ($30.12) from "pay for time online" ($15.98 per hour with all logged-in time, including waiting, included). The latter is closer to what drivers actually take home per hour worked. Both numbers are real; we publish the engaged-hour figure but should be ready to cite the time-online figure when comparison is needed.
What would invalidate this
New OLS report supersedes April 2026 figures. SMC 8.37 amendment changes calculation. Industry legal challenge succeeds.
Re-verify by
2026-10-27 (also: watch for Q3 2026 OLS report which would update the figure)
Earnings (USD per hour)
Source: Seattle OLS observed base pay per hour online
What would you take home in Seattle?
Take-home, weekly
n/a
Take-home, monthly
n/a
Gross, weekly
$718
Gross, monthly
$3,111
Take-home is gross hourly minus an estimated tax/expense rate per country. See the methodology page for the derivation. This widget assumes you actually work the hours you set. For app-based delivery, a portion of logged-in time is unpaid waiting; the headline rate reflects engaged time only where regulators have defined it.
Cost of living vs. earnings
Pay vs. local labour market
Gross hourly is 62% of local minimum wage, 38% of local median.
Notes
Seattle's SMC 8.37 also mandates a per-minute/per-mile floor, and OLS separately reports $30.12 per ENGAGED hour and $15.98 per online hour after expenses. The index publishes the gross per-online-hour figure so Seattle is comparable with other cities' gross full-shift measurements.
View Seattle on the interactive map
See full source citations for this city on the sources page. Read about how each metric is computed in the methodology.
Primary earnings source: www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/LaborStandards/SMC_8.37_Data_Report_ADA.pdf · archived