In case you’re not familiar, Instacart is an online grocery delivery and pickup service that connects customers with local supermarkets, wholesale clubs, and specialty retailers via a mobile app or website. Customers browse products from participating local and national stores — such as Costco, Target and ALDI — through the Instacart platform. Independently contracted personal shoppers go to the store, select the items, and deliver them to the customer's door. You may be wondering just how much personal shoppers make. Their actual take-home pay depends on customer orders, driving costs, and time between orders. It’s estimated that the average shopper makes anywhere from $15 to $18 an hour, with that figure being higher in larger areas like San Francisco and Houston. New York City requires grocery delivery apps to pay shoppers at least $22.13 an hour before tips. Shoppers receive 25% more on Sundays and evenings. An Instacart full-service shopper uses a personal vehicle, and covers gas and maintenance costs themselves. Phone costs, insurance and vehicle depreciation further reduce what remains from gross earnings. With all that figured in, the typical shopper makes about $13 an hour.
