Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
To tip, or not to tip — that is the question.
![What data on 40m rides tell us about how people tip Uber drivers](https://20627419.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/20627419/hubfs/The%20Hustle/Assets/Images/477430785-uber-1.webp?width=595&height=400&name=477430785-uber-1.webp)
In a new NBER working paper, researchers analyzed more than 40m Uber trips during a 4-week span in 2017 and looked at how much riders tipped, and how these tips varied based on a multitude of factors.
Turns out, most of us could benefit from a bit more generosity. Among the findings:
![](https://20627419.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/20627419/hubfs/The%20Hustle/Assets/Images/718310942-6ZVBJS4qo0os6gZ5R1dbrVaZ82VCLkUomXeHV0QqFKe27kf3NX0kniDDHnYGUn3uJBbQ1SwlAFLTxfW4K-E1gWcsQARglr6AcjF0aXrU6jWIIgk-WgNdoylH_nXR-OfbCVOyFtiM.webp?width=600&height=651&name=718310942-6ZVBJS4qo0os6gZ5R1dbrVaZ82VCLkUomXeHV0QqFKe27kf3NX0kniDDHnYGUn3uJBbQ1SwlAFLTxfW4K-E1gWcsQARglr6AcjF0aXrU6jWIIgk-WgNdoylH_nXR-OfbCVOyFtiM.webp)
By one estimate, the average Uber driver in the US earns around $9.21 an hour after expenses like gas, service fees, and car maintenance. Many drivers say they rely on tips — first introduced to the Uber app in 2017 — to make a sustainable living.
On UberPeople.net, a popular forum for rideshare drivers, one of the hottest topics is how to get riders to tip more often. Some suggest simple passenger-pleasers like phone chargers and mini water bottles; others are a tad more extreme.
“Don’t unlock your doors unless they tip,” one poster advises a young gun. “It’s called the ‘No tip, no go’ strategy.”