In 2014, as Uber was on its way to becoming the world’s most valuable startup. It boasted that drivers in New York City working at least 40 hours per week earned a median income of more than $90,000 per year, while San Francisco drivers earned more than $74,000.
For drivers working 52 weeks per year, that would average out to more than $44 and $35 per hour, respectively.
At the time, Uber’s reputation was untainted by the litany of scandals that would eventually roil the company, including alleged efforts to circumvent regulators, claims of rampant sexual harassment and assault impacting drivers and corporate employees, and years of unprofitability. News media initially took Uber’s claims about driver pay at face value.
