If you want to make extra cash each week, becoming an Instacart Shopper is a very effective option.
As an Instacart Shopper, you can make money on your own schedule by delivering groceries to people in your city.
Plus, Instacart is available in over 5,000 cities across North America, so it's an incredibly accessible side hustle idea to try.
But, how much can you make doing Instacart, and will this gig app really let you boost your income? Today, I'm breaking down the question: how much can you make a week with Instacart?
Hopefully, this pay information helps you decide if becoming an Instacart shopper is worth it or not for you!
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How Much Do Instacart Shoppers Make In A Week?
Instacart Shoppers can make anywhere from $50 to $100 a week or hundreds of dollars per week depending on how much they work and how many batches they get. In very busy market, it's possible to earn $1,000 in a week or more from Instacart. However, most Instacart Shoppers just make a couple hundred dollars a week at most.
To truly figure out how much money you can make per week doing Instacart, we need to cover a few pieces of information.
The first is average hourly pay since this obviously impacts your daily and, ultimately, weekly earnings.
But, we also need to talk about the best times to do Instacart since certain days are more lucrative than others.
With that said, let's jump into what Instacart, salary review websites, and real Instacart shoppers have to say about Instacart's weekly earning potential.
What Instacart Says About Weekly Earnings
Unfortunately, Instacart doesn't provide much transparency in terms of how much shoppers make in a week.
But, the company does provide a lot of insight on how your earnings are calculated. Your earnings per delivery depend on:
- The number of items in a batch (“batches” are the name for orders)
- Delivery distance
- How difficult deliveries are
- Base pay for shoppers, which varies by market
- A “heavy fee” for heavy products
Additionally, you also keep 100% of tips, and overall, Instacart hourly pay is more volatile than something like delivering for DoorDash since grocery orders can be quite large.
So, you might earn $10 to $20 for one batch, but get lucky and earn $40 to $50+ for another, larger batch.
Unfortunately, that's all Instacart advertises, so let's look at some other data to see how much you can make per week doing Instacart.
What Salary Review Websites Say About Weekly Instacart Earnings
If you look at how much Instacart shoppers make per hour on different salary review websites, you find a bunch of different data.
Here are some popular salary review websites where shoppers share how much they earn per hour:
- Indeed: $13 per hour.
- Glassdoor: $16 per hour.
- Payscale: $18.84 per hour.
Let's take an average of this data and say that Instacart Shoppers earn around $16 per hour on average.
That's above minimum wage in most states, but how much can you earn with Instacart in a week?
Well, if you work 40 hours per week at $16 per hour, that's $640 per week in income from Instacart.
However, as we're going to find out from some couriers, it's not always possible to work 40 hours per week or more for Instacart since it's difficult to consistently get more batches.
But, if you follow some Instacart shopper tips and tricks, you can definitely earn more than $16 per hour as an Instacart Shopper, especially if you're in a large market.
What Other Instacart Shoppers Say
So, how much money can you make a week with Instacart?
Well, in my opinion, it's always best to look at what real shoppers are saying since this data is the most trustworthy. And thankfully, numerous Reddit threads have plenty of Instacart shoppers who share insights about how much they make per week.
In this thread, here's what some other people say about how much they make in a week with Instacart:
- Sarita33300 says: “I work 7-12, Monday through Friday and I make $750 a week. When I need more money, I work Saturdays. I just hate afternoon and weekends cause stores are packed.”
- Johmin11 says: “I made close to $2000 one week but that was really pushing it by working way too many hours. I typically make between $1,200 – $1,500 in a 40 hour week. It definitely goes up and down every week.”
In another Reddit thread, here's what more real Instacart shoppers say in terms of how much they make per week:
- Cxrlxs says: “1.2 k per week. This depends on area, rating, and how luck and fast your fingers are.”
- Kind-Guava-618 says: “If you live in a place like Kansas tho, it’s more like max 500 a week. There’s too many people joining and taking away orders from older shoppers. I can barely make enough to pay my bills anymore because of new shoppers coming in and taking the the 2 good ones and then going home when there’s some of us that need all the orders we can get.”
- AKAwilson says: “If I work 7 days x 12 hours/day and there are steady batches available, then I make upwards of $800-$1000/week. If not, closer to $500.”
I think AKAWilson's point is the most insightful.
You can easily earn $20+ per hour in many markets as an Instacart shopper, so if you get enough batches, you can clear $1,000 per week without issues.
But, the limiting factor is getting steady batches.
This is because Instacart assigns batches based on your shopper rating. Highly-rated shoppers get batch requests first, so they can cherry-pick the best ones.
This rating system is why it's important to get positive customer reviews and to be on time to keep your shopping rating high.
And, as some shoppers mention, working days like weekends or the best Instacart times can lead to a positive boost for your weekly earnings.
This video from YouTuber Chanty Marie also sheds some light on how much money Instacart shoppers make.
In her video, Chanty shares how much she made after doing Instacart for one week.
Chanty did 10 batches in 15 hours and earned $295.65, which works out to $19.66 per hour.
This is above minimum wage and pretty consistent with Instacart hourly pay data you find online.
Verdict: I think on average, most Instacart shoppers make about $300 to $500 per week in extra income. But, Instacart shoppers can earn $1,000+ per week in certain markets if it's consistently busy and they have a high shopper rating.
Ultimately, I think this makes Instacart an excellent side hustle to diversify your income and reach your financial goals faster.
Extra Reading – How To Make $500 A Week With DoorDash.
Tips For Making More Money With Instacart Per Week
Alright, so it looks like the average Instacart Shopper makes about $500 per week if they put in some decent hours.
But, some shoppers earn $1,000 per week or more, so what's different between these shoppers?
As mentioned, your market makes amassivedifference in terms of how much money you make with Instacart per week. However, there are still a few tips you can use to boost your weekly earnings.
1. Work On Customer Service
Your Instacart Shopper rating influences your priority for getting batch requests. Therefore, a higher shopper rating means you get more order requests so you can pick the highest-paying batches before other shoppers.
This means you need to be friendly, on time, and provide excellent customer service during a delivery to try and consistently get 5 star ratings.
You should also text your customer while you're working, and if you have to make substitutions or ask them a question, try to go above and beyond to provide excellent service.
Extra Reading – How To Get More Batches On Instacart.
2. Track Your Expenses
If you don't track your job expenses, it doesn't matter how much you make each week with Instacart since you don't know your true profit margins.
When you work for Instacart, you're an independent contractor. This means Instacart doesn't pay for gas or for things like vehicle repairs and depreciation.
But, the good news is that you might be able to claim your Instacart mileage on your tax return as a business expense, or at least some of this.
So, make sure you track the miles you drive for Instacart and keep all of the receipts you get for fuel and potential repairs.
I also suggest using a mileage tracking app like Everlance so you can automatically log your miles and gig economy income to make filing taxes much easier.
3. Mix In Other Delivery Apps
You can probably earn a few hundred dollars per week working for Instacart if you put in 15 to 20 hours.
But, if Instacart is slow in your area, you should also mix in other food delivery apps to maximize your earnings.
After all, the last thing you want is to spend precious time sitting in your car waiting for a batch to come in, only to end up waiting 20 minutes before you get one worth taking.
By working for other food delivery apps, you can swap to whatever app is busiest on that particular day, helping you make more money overall.
Some other popular food and package delivery gigs you can consider include:
- DoorDash
- Grubhub
- Cornershop
- Uber Eats
- Walmart Spark
- ParaWorks
- Shipt
You can also try delivery jobs like Amazon Flex or delivering packages with companies like GoShare or Roadie.
I wouldn't try every delivery app at once since this might be overwhelming. But, don't be afraid to try one extra app so you at least have options!
Extra Reading – How Much Can You Make A Week With DoorDash?
Frequently Asked Questions
So, you can likely make a few hundred dollars per week as an Instacart Shopper if you do a few batches after your day job or on weekends.
But, if you're still wondering if this delivery gig is worth it or what to expect for earnings, this list of answers to common questions should help!
How Much Can You Make A Day With Instacart?
You should be able to make $100 to $150 per day with Instacart if you earn around $15 to $20 per hour and work a full day. This assumes you get enough batches, work consistently without breaks, and doesn't account for your gas and vehicle expenses.
However, this answer is a bit tricky since certain days are better for Instacart than others.
Additionally, if you get lucky with a few big tips and batches, your luck for that day might change.
Granted, there are shoppers who clear $200 a day with Instacart, so it's possible to earn some solid money with this gig job.
Extra Reading – Best Jobs Like Instacart.
Can You Do Instacart Full-Time?
Another question people have that relates to how much you can make per week with Instacart is if this gig job is viable for full-time work.
This really depends on your market and how many batches you get. It also depends on your financial goals.
My advice is to try Instacart for a few days in your area to learn the ropes and to see how much you earn to gauge if you can do it full-time.
If you need to make $700 to $1,000 per week to support yourself, it might be possible to do Instacart full-time.
However, if you're only making $300 to $500 per week with Instacart or struggle to get consistent batches, I don't think it's viable for full-time work in your market.
What Are The Requirements To Work For Instacart
If you want to become an Instacart Shopper, the requirements are:
- Having regular access to a vehicle (no bikes or scooters)
- Being 18 or older
- Having legal authorization to work in the country you're in (Canada or the United States)
- Passing a background check
- Being able to lift 40lbs without help
- Having a smartphone that can run the Instacart shopper app
Overall, Instacart is a pretty lenient gig economy job, and as long as you have a car, you should be able to work for Instacart!
Extra Reading – Best Apps That Pay You To Drive.
How Does Instacart Pay You?
Instacart pays shoppers weekly through direct deposit. You get paid for the batches you completed the previous week from Monday to Sunday.
You can also use the instant cash out feature to get paid instantly by Instacart for a $0.50 fee.
How Much Can You Make With Instacart?
Instacart shoppers earn approximately $15 to $20 per hour. However, earnings depend on your market, how many batches you get, how much batches pay, and your shopping speed. You also keep 100% of all tips, so hourly Instacart earnings can fluctuate. Ultimately, it's realistic to make a few hundred dollars a week in extra income if you put in enough hours.
How To Make $500 A Week With Instacart?
To earn $500 a week with Instacart, you likely need to work around 25 hours if you average $20 per hour in pay. This is a realistic hourly rate in busy markets, but it also assumes you get enough batches and that you shop efficiently. You can also get lucky with large tips and potentially make $500 much faster.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it: that's what the data says for how much money you can make doing Instacart every week.
Again, your market and shopper rating are two massive factors for how much you earn every week.
But, I think Instacart is ultimately an effective way to increase your weekly income. Even if it's an extra $200 per month, that's money you can use to pay down debt or to begin investing.
It takes time to become a faster and more efficient shopper, but if you learn the ropes and work in a decent market, you can probably earn $20+ per hour and make some serious cash with Instacart.
Plus, you can always mix in other gigs that let you get paid to shop, like DoorDash and Uber Eats, to get as many orders as possible.
That's all for this one, happy shopping!
Sign up for Instacart and start making extra cash!
Looking for other money-making ideas? Checkout:
- How To Earn $1,000 In 24 Hours.
- Instacart vs. DoorDash – What's The Best Side Hustle?
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