The national average hourly wage for Uber drivers in the United States is $20.15 but drivers in every state have different levels of financial security. High Rise Financial, a pre-settlement legal funding company, ranked the best and worst states for the drivers, considering earning potential, average fares, customer demand and living costs.  

Minnesota ranked first, followed by Michigan, Oklahoma, Iowa and New Hampshire. The worst-ranked states were Wisconsin, Oregon, New Mexico, New York and Missouri. Drivers in the states defined as the worst often face more competition, resulting in fewer days off.

New Jersey ranked 10th-best for Uber drivers. As for why neighbors Minnesota and Wisconsin are at opposite ends of the scale, the study concluded, “Wisconsin was dragged down by its regional competition, with a higher ratio of rideshare drivers to customers and a higher fare rate of $3.47 per mile — 34% higher than Minnesota.”  

“In highly competitive jobs like rideshare driving, employees are more likely to avoid taking time off work even if it’s drastically needed, or will rush back to work before they’re ready to reduce their losses,” said a spokesperson for High Rise Financial.