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Is this Lyft offer worth it? New York City, NY
A free calculator for Lyft drivers in New York City. Type in what the Lyft Driver app shows and get $/mile, $/hour and what's left after your car cost. Nothing is sent anywhere: it runs in your browser.
The offer
Your targets (edit; saved on this device)
How to read a Lyft offer
Lyft's ride request shows the estimated earnings and the pickup and trip time and distance. Add pickup and trip together for total miles and minutes. Then put the pickup part in the "unpaid pickup" fields, because you aren't paid for that drive.
Example (not real New York City data)
Say an offer pays $13.20 for 8.4 total miles and 33 minutes, with 1.2 miles of pickup. That's $1.57/mile and $24/hour. Against example targets of $1.00/mile and $25/hour, it's borderline. After a $0.30/mile car cost, about $10.68 is left. Your targets and costs will differ.
Driving in New York City
Main airport: JFK International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), with Newark (EWR) in New Jersey. Busy areas include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island. App drivers in NYC need a TLC license, and the TLC sets minimum pay rules for app trips (see nyc.gov/tlc). Use this to compare offers above that floor.
Questions
How do I know if a Lyft offer in New York City is worth it?
Divide the pay by the total miles (pickup plus trip) and by the total time. Compare both to your own targets, then subtract your car cost per mile. The calculator above does this with the same scoring RideYield uses on Android.
What $/mile target should New York City drivers use?
There is no single right number. It depends on your car, gas, insurance and how busy New York City is when you drive. Many drivers start from what their car costs per mile and add the profit they want. The targets above are only starting examples you can edit.
What car cost per mile should I enter?
Use your own costs if you track them. For reference, the IRS business standard mileage rate is 72.5¢/mile for Jan 1–Jun 30, 2026 and 76¢/mile from Jul 1, 2026 (IRS Notice 2026-10 and IR-2026-29). That rate is for tax deductions and includes depreciation, so your out-of-pocket cost is usually lower.
Does this include JFK International airport trips?
Yes. For an airport run, include any unpaid wait in the minutes, and think about the empty drive back to where you want to work.
Score every offer automatically
The RideYield Android app reads the offer on your screen in Lyft Driver and shows this verdict in a small bubble. You still decide and tap. Offer data stays on your phone.
Same city, other app: Uber calculator for New York City. Other Lyft cities: Tampa · St. Petersburg · Orlando · Miami · Atlanta · Houston · Dallas · Phoenix · Chicago · Los Angeles.
Also useful: driver gear · rider tablet kit · help. Not affiliated with Uber or Lyft. Estimates only.