Considering a Second Job? Consider Delivering Pizza!

I was not making a fortune at my regular job, and a raise was not going to happen with the economy on a downturn. I had a number of friends and relatives who in the past made some extra money or even a living as pizza delivery drivers. I decided to give it a try, and it turned out to be a good decision, especially after I got laid off from my regular job just 5 months later.

What are the pros for delivering Pizza? Most major chains pay minimum wage. You will receive about $1.00 per delivery to cover your gas. The big money factor is the tips you receive. In some neighborhoods you can receive $3.00 to $5.00 tips from those customer that tip. I occasionally receive tips in excess of $10.00. If you make 3 or 4 deliveries in one hour you could easily add $10.00 per hour to your base wage during busy weekend evening hours. The busiest nights are going to be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you work in the daytime, you will have fewer deliveries. I have on some busy Friday nights worked seven hours and brought home over $70 cash in delivery fees and tips. This amount will vary depending on the locations you are working.

A second pro is that the job is relatively easy, very little training is necessary. As long as you have a good driving record and are not geographically impaired, you should have a very short learning curve. During your down time plan on washing dishes, folding pizza boxes, answering phones, and cutting and boxing the pizzas. The hardest thing to learn among these is the computer system for taking orders over the phone. The pizza place I work at uses a system that is not a touch screen, and it is loaded with abbreviations.

As for cons, pizza delivery drivers tend to have a hazardous job. The level of danger varies by the locations you deliver to. It is safer overall in the suburbs and smaller cities, but there is always some danger. Drivers will sometimes be robbed or shot even in the best of neighborhoods.

Perhaps the biggest con is wear and tear on your vehicle. In a period of four months I had to replace the following items on my car: battery, starter, oil pan gasket, one fuse, one brake rotor, one set of brake pads, one brake line, three tires, one fuel filter, one fuel pressure regulator, one ignition module, and all the items required for a tune-up. This is an older vehicle, so you may have more wear and tear on your brakes and tires than anything else.

My decision to get a second job delivering pizza worked out very well. Despite the repairs, I did have a job in place when I was laid off from my main job. Delivering pizza is, for now, my primary job. I think this will help me get through until I can replace my old job, which may take some time in this economy.