RUNGig driver playbook · WA
Driving in Seattle
Seattle passed the PayUp ordinance — a guaranteed per-minute and per-mile floor. Even slow hours pay. The market is also EV-heavy; many drivers run Tesla / Lightning for the mileage savings.
Population
750k city · 4M metro
Uber avg/hr
$26–34/hr (minimum pay law)
DoorDash avg/hr
$22–28/hr
Best hours to drive in Seattle
Thu–Sat 7pm–2am, weekday Amazon commute 7–9am + 4–6pm
Worst window: Sunday mornings
Seattle surge hotspots
- Capitol Hill nightlife (Pike/Pine)
- Belltown
- South Lake Union (Amazon)
- Ballard
- Climate Pledge Arena event zones
Airport strategy
SEA-TAC — strict TNC area, follow the staging rules
Recurring surge events
SeahawksMarinersKrakenStormSoundersBumbershoot (Sep)Capitol Hill Block Party
Taxes for WA drivers
WA has NO state income tax. Federal mileage deduction + Seattle's per-trip minimum (PayUp law) puts WA drivers in the top 3 for take-home nationally.
Run the WA tax calculator →Weather watch
Rain Oct–May — wet brakes, hydroplaning, fogged windows. A good defogger + wipers = safety + ratings.
Drive in Seattle? Get on the MyRunner waitlist.
MyRunner launches city by city. Drop your email and we'll text you the moment Seattle goes live — plus send your first gear drop free.