Guide · updated 11 October 2026
How much an Uber or Bolt driver earns in 2026
There is no official figure. Uber and Bolt do not publish an average, and the press quotes calculations made by individual drivers. What you can do for sure: see what comes out of every ride and do the math with your own numbers.
In short
- The price in an Uber or Bolt offer is already after the platform commission. Out of it you still pay fuel, the empty drive to the passenger, the car, the fleet (if you work through one) and your company taxes.
- A full-time driver calculated for Digi24 that out of 10,000 lei collected from passengers they kept about 1,357 lei net a month, around 8 lei an hour. That is one driver’s calculation, not an average.
- An offer that looks good in lei per hour can lose half of it after costs. The example below shows why.
What comes out of a ride price
- Platform commission. Bolt has kept 25% of the ride price since 10 January 2022 (Știrile ProTV). In February 2025, drivers in Craiova asked for commissions to drop from 25% to 10% (Informat.ro). In the calculation published by Digi24, an Uber driver reported 36% for one month.
- VAT on the commission. In the same calculation, the driver’s company (not VAT-registered) paid 756 lei VAT on a 3,600 lei commission.
- The fleet. If you work through a partner company, it keeps a percentage or a fixed weekly amount, depending on your contract.
- Fuel and the empty drive. You pay for every km, including the drive to the passenger, which is not paid separately.
- The car. Payment or rent, insurance, servicing, tyres and taxes. Turn them into lei per km with the “What one km costs you” calculator.
- Time without a ride. Waiting between rides is not paid, but it is part of your working day.
- Company tax (sole trader or SRL), depending on your regime. Your accountant can tell you.
A worked example
An offer of 33.56 lei: 7.7 km and 17 minutes to the passenger, then a 11.1 km, 15-minute trip. The car uses 6.5 L of diesel per 100 km at 10.30 lei/L (0.67 lei/km). For the car payment, insurance and taxes we used an example of 0.41 lei/km.
| What you see | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total km and minutes (with the empty drive) | 18.8 km · 32 min |
| Lei per km, from the price | 1.79 |
| Lei per hour, from the price | 62.93 |
| After diesel you keep | 20.97 lei → 39.33 lei/hour |
| After diesel and fixed costs (0.41 lei/km) | 13.27 lei → 24.87 lei/hour |
The offer shows 63 lei an hour. After car costs, less than 25 is left, before waiting time, the fleet and tax. These figures are an example: redo the math with yours.
Questions
Why is there no official average?
The platforms do not publish an average, and many drivers work through fleets, so net earnings differ from person to person. The figures in the press are drivers’ own calculations or estimates.
Which offer is worth accepting?
One that, after fuel and car costs, leaves you at least what you aimed for per km, per hour and per ride. Set your thresholds in the calculator and see the GOOD / FAIR / POOR verdict.
What does VivPilot do?
It reads the Uber or Bolt offer on your screen and instantly shows lei/km, lei/hour and what you keep, with a verdict based on your thresholds. The decision stays yours: the app never accepts or declines rides.
Sources (in Romanian)
- Digi24: ride-hailing drivers report low earnings (external site)
- Playtech: how much an Uber driver earns per hour in Romania (external site)
- Știrile ProTV: how much a Bolt driver earns (external site)
- Informat.ro: Uber and Bolt drivers in Craiova unhappy with commissions (external site)
Press figures belong to the sources quoted. The example figures are estimates, not a guarantee of earnings.