We asked 12 gig workers how much they made in 2025. The answers varied wildly.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Travel
Daniel Mondragon

Matthew DeFeo for BI

Gig workers and the companies that pay them often talk about earnings in hourly terms.

That doesn't tell the full story, though.

Voracious demand for robotics training data is transforming gig work

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Environment
An Instawork Pro recording his activities
An Instawork Pro recording his activities

Instawork

Mamdani is cracking down on food delivery app junk fees in NYC

Tech Insider : Economy, Business
Zohran Mamdani
Affordable housing has become a central part of NYC Zohran Mamdani's agenda.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

DoorDash CEO Tony Xu says he likes getting 2,000-word emails from delivery workers. It helps him fix their issues.

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
DoorDash CEO Tony Xu stands and gestures on a stage while wearing glasses with black rims and a light-grey t-shirt
DoorDash CEO Tony Xu says he likes long emails from customers and delivery workers.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

I made $37,000 assembling Ikea furniture last year. It gave me the flexibility to run my own business and farm.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business
Sandra Navarro, who assembles furniture for Taskrabbit, wears a purple t-shirt and dark baseball cap while posing against a beige background.
Sandra Navarro said she has carved out a niche on Taskrabbit, assembling dressers from Ikea.

Sandra Navarro

DoorDash and Uber tap gig workers to collect data for everything from training AI to stocking stores

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Technology
A red DoorDash bag hangs from the handlebars of a e-bike as someone wearing black pants, a black coat, and black gloves pushes the bike.
DoorDash now lets users train AI or photograph store shelves.

CARLO ALLEGRI/Reuters

DoorDash is giving drivers gas 'relief payments' as prices at the pump near $4 a gallon

Tech Insider : Economy, Business
A moped rider with a red DoorDash insulated bag waits at an intersection in Washington, DC.
DoorDash delivery drivers can earn "relief payments" for fuel based on how far they drive each week, the company said on Monday.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Return to office and AI are pulling more women out of work

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Technology
A working woman holding a baby in her lap.

Sergey Mironov/Getty Images

As AI reshapes the labor market, Taskrabbit is poised to benefit, CEO says

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Politics
Ania Smith, left, and Leah Solivan pose while leaning against a desk at the offices of TaskRabbit. In the background, a green sign showing TaskRabbit's name and logo hangs on a wooden wall.
Ania Smith, left, and Leah Solivan sat down with Business Insider to talk about Taskrabbit's growth and adoption of AI.

TaskRabbit

Some contractors who worked on OpenAI projects say Handshake AI is withholding thousands of dollars in pay

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
Developer
Handshake AI abruptly cut off access to the projects and told some workers they'd violated their contract.

vgajic/Getty Images

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