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Drastic Changes In The Rideshare Driver Market In 2025 Impact Earnings And Safety. Many Workers Face Financial And Professional Challenges, Showing That The Dream Of Leaving The CLT May Be Far From The Current Reality Of The Sector.
Leaving a formal job with a signed work card (CLT) to become a rideshare driver in 2025 is no longer an advantageous choice.
Arthur Hamilton, an experienced driver and app specialist, asserts this.
According to him, in his YouTube channel, the question that many workers are asking is: Is it still worth being a rideshare driver this year?
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Until last year, in 2024, Hamilton admitted that his answer would be different.
“If you asked me if it’s worth it to swap the CLT for app work, I would say that if you earn less than R$ 3,000 in CLT, it’s worth leaving the CLT and becoming a rideshare driver,” he says.
However, the scenario changed drastically in 2025.
Today, Hamilton’s answer is straightforward and emphatic: “No, it’s not worth swapping the CLT to become a rideshare driver, regardless of what you earn in CLT.”
He explains that currently, rideshare drivers are earning very little, especially outside major capitals like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Outside these centers, many drivers make about R$ 2 a day, but spend up to R$ 50 just on fuel.
“If you spend R$ 50 on fuel a day and have R$ 150 left, you’re doing a good job,” Hamilton explains.
For those who finance their car, like him, costs are even higher.
“I spend R$ 500 on financing plus the vehicle insurance, totaling approximately R$ 3,900 per month.”
Doing the math, with R$ 50 net per day, deducting R$ 1,500 in expenses, you’re left with about R$ 2,400 per month – equivalent to a CLT salary.
Lack Of Benefits And Insecurity
Hamilton emphasizes that rideshare drivers do not have the same benefits and security as a worker with a signed contract.
“In the CLT, you have social security, unemployment insurance, and retirement benefits. On the other hand, a driver who doesn’t pay CNPJ has no real profit because they lack these rights,” he explains.
For him, swapping six for half a dozen isn’t worth it: it’s better to stay in the CLT, because there is security and social benefits there.
Additionally, he warns that the situation is only expected to worsen.
“The forecast for 2025 is that the earnings of drivers will decrease even more, because every year the apps reduce the minimum fare and increase the percentage they take from the ride value.”
This means that, even with the passenger paying a high fare, the driver gets a smaller portion of the final amount.
Platforms like Uber and 99 take the largest share of the fare.
Outside major cities, the average net earnings are around R$ 2,400 per month, which for Hamilton does not compensate for the stress and risks of the job.
“Today, when we go out to work as drivers, we don’t know if we will return home safely, considering the number of assaults and accidents that occur.”
Many drivers still work without vehicle insurance and without paying CNPJ, leaving them unprotected in situations like illness assistance.
Real Earnings And Market Traps
Hamilton emphasizes that the stories of drivers earning R$ 600 or even R$ 1,000 per day, so common on social media, do not reflect the national reality.
“It may still be possible to make R$ 600 a day in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, but that’s not the reality elsewhere in Brazil,” he warns.
According to him, the job is only worthwhile for those who already have experience in the market.
“When I started, I accepted many rides to areas I didn’t know, and I ended up waiting for another ride or returning ‘empty-handed’,” he says.
The term “empty-handed” is used to define the return without a passenger, which means loss.
Hamilton reveals that it took him about a year to adapt and identify the best areas to accept rides, something crucial to avoid financial losses.
“If you are thinking about leaving your CLT job to become a rideshare driver, I recommend waiting for things to settle down. In January 2025, I affirm that it’s not worth it, but the game can change if the apps improve their fares for drivers,” he notes.
He recalls that in 2017, rideshare drivers earned three or four times more than a CLT worker, something that is now very distant.
Currently, he points out that the average rideshare driver earns about R$ 400 net per month – an amount equivalent to a CLT salary, but without the same benefits.
Many drivers have gone into debt financing their cars and now face difficulties paying financing, IPVA, maintenance, and fuel, especially with profits continually shrinking.
“For those already in the market, it might still be feasible to continue, but for those outside, entering this saturated market makes no sense, as it will only increase competition and further reduce earnings.”
The Uncertain Future And The Necessary Experience
Hamilton highlights that outside the major capitals, the average net amount is around R$ 2,400.
With the increase in the number of drivers, this amount tends to drop even further, to the point where earnings only cover the bills.
“Today, the experienced driver can pay their bills and have a small leftover, unlike the past, when it was possible to drive a brand new car, pay everything, and still have a considerable amount left over.”
Finally, he emphasizes that the work as a rideshare driver is not as simple as it seems.
“Many people think it’s just sitting, driving, and making money, but it requires a lot of experience, especially geographic knowledge.”
Hamilton also highlights the insecurity of daily work. “There are days when you can make R$ 200, but there are many days when you spend hours waiting without rides and return home at a loss.”
The expert’s final answer is clear. “It’s no longer worth it to swap CLT work to become a rideshare driver in 2025.”
What about you, have you ever thought about leaving the CLT to become a rideshare driver? Do you think it’s worth the risk? Share your opinion in the comments!
Eu acredito que ainda vale apena, a depender de quanto vc ganha no CLT e o quanto vc está disposto a trabalhar. Aqui em Recife eu consigo fazer de 300 a 400 por dia, gastando cerca de 100 a 120 reais de combustível.