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The real numbers of gig work

Data reports from 100,000+ analyzed trip offers, tax guides, and earnings strategy — written for drivers, cited by everyone else.

Data & trends
Latest report
August 2026 Earnings Index: the market got wider, not better
Median offer $1.22/mile, one in three under $1, Spark volume nearly tripled — and a cleaner way of counting, with July restated.
GigReal Data Team·September 7, 2026·5 min read
Median offer per mile
$1.22
Offers below $1/mile
33%
Median projected hourly
$24.97
earnings-index-august-2026
AllData & trendsTaxes & deductionsEarnings strategyPlatform newsProduct updates
Taxes & deductions
The IRS raised the mileage rate to 76¢ mid-year. Here's what changes for drivers.
A rare mid-year bump means two rates for 2026, a bigger deduction on every mile since July 1, and a cost floor that just moved up.
September 7, 2026·4 min read
irs-mileage-rate-76-cents-july-2026
Earnings strategy
Game day is a demand event. Here's how to drive it.
Football's back. Stadium arrivals, the let-out trap, and the second wave nobody stays for — a playbook for the season's most predictable demand.
September 7, 2026·4 min read
game-day-driving-playbook
Data & trends
August 2026 Earnings Index: the market got wider, not better
Median offer $1.22/mile, one in three under $1, Spark volume nearly tripled — and a cleaner way of counting, with July restated.
September 7, 2026·5 min read
earnings-index-august-2026
Taxes & deductions
Beyond mileage: six deductions gig drivers leave on the table
Mileage covers the car — these six write-offs cover everything else and shrink your Sept 15 payment.
August 24, 2026·4 min read
deductions-beyond-mileage
Data & trends
Two-thirds of offers are a MAYBE. Here's how to call them.
66% of July's offers cleared one floor but not both. Three questions that turn a MAYBE into a yes or a no.
August 24, 2026·3 min read
maybe-offers-how-to-decide
Earnings strategy
The September snapback: five moves to make before Labor Day
September demand snaps back fast — five moves to make before Labor Day so the rebound lands on your dashboard.
August 24, 2026·4 min read
september-snapback-labor-day
Product updates
Meet GigReal 2.4: clearer earnings, smarter recaps, and help that stays with you
Clearer connected earnings, complete recaps, a redesigned expense report, and a new Help & Support center.
August 17, 2026·3 min read
gigreal-2-4-clearer-earnings-recaps-support
Platform news
Gas is still $4 a gallon. Here's what it does to your per-mile floor
Gas is parked near $4 and the relief programs lapsed. What that does to a mile — and to your floor.
August 8, 2026·4 min read
gas-prices-per-mile-floor
Earnings strategy
Multi-apping 101: run two apps without wrecking your hourly
More apps means more offers to filter — not more to accept. Five rules for stacking platforms cleanly.
August 8, 2026·4 min read
multi-apping-101
Taxes & deductions
Q3 estimated taxes are due September 15 — here's the five-week plan
The Sept 15 payment covers June–August profit. Find your number and schedule it in ten minutes.
August 8, 2026·3 min read
q3-estimated-taxes-september-15
Data & trends
July 2026 Earnings Index: offers got stingier — the good ones didn't
Median offer fell to $1.09/mile and 44% priced under $1 — but the projected hourly held. July's real numbers.
August 3, 2026·4 min read
earnings-index-july-2026
Taxes & deductions
The new tips deduction and 1099 changes, explained for gig drivers
Up to $25,000 of tips can now escape federal income tax — and fewer 1099s are coming. What changes for drivers.
August 3, 2026·4 min read
tips-deduction-1099-changes
Earnings strategy
The summer slowdown is real. Here's how to drive through it.
Why late summer feels slow, which demand sticks around, and how to protect your hourly until September.
August 3, 2026·3 min read
summer-slowdown-strategy
Data & trends
How much do gig drivers really make? The June 2026 Earnings Index
Real pay per hour and per mile across Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Spark — from 15,000+ offers analyzed by real drivers.
July 1, 2026·6 min read
earnings-index-june-2026
Platform news
What Uber's latest fare changes mean for your per-mile pay
We ran the numbers before and after.
June 25, 2026·4 min read
uber-fare-change-per-mile
Data & trends
38% of gig offers pay under $1 a mile — here's how drivers spot them
What 6,000 sub-$1 offers from June say about the trips worth declining.
June 20, 2026·5 min read
offers-under-1-dollar-mile
Taxes & deductions
The 2026 mileage deduction, explained for gig drivers
The per-mile write-off adds up fast — if your log survives an audit.
June 12, 2026·7 min read
mileage-deduction-2026
Product updates
New in GigReal: Trip Identifier for Walmart Spark (beta)
The back-tap verdict now reads Spark offers.
June 10, 2026·3 min read
trip-identifier-spark-beta
Earnings strategy
The best days and hours to drive, according to the data
Thursday beats Friday in most markets. Here's why.
June 5, 2026·4 min read
best-days-hours-to-drive
Taxes & deductions
Quarterly taxes for gig work: the 25-30% rule
How much to set aside, when to pay, and what happens if you don't.
May 28, 2026·6 min read
quarterly-taxes-gig-work
Earnings strategy
Gross vs. net: why your real hourly is 23% lower than you think
The math your platform's earnings screen leaves out.
May 15, 2026·5 min read
gross-vs-net-real-hourly

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