Key Highlights
Flexible App-Based Work: 9 in 10 Dashers appreciate the flexibility to determine when, where, and for how long they work — something often unavailable with more traditional jobs.
Financial Security: Nearly three-quarters of Dashers say income they earn on deliveries helps them feel more financially secure.
Supplemental Earnings: Two-thirds of Dashers work at another job, which is supplemented by DoorDash earnings.
In today’s busy world, many Canadians are turning to flexible app-based work to help them stay on top of their goals and manage their day-to-day lives. DoorDash’s 2025 Dasher Survey, conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights, shows just how meaningful this flexibility can be.
As Canadians juggle full calendars and evolving responsibilities, dashing has become a practical option that helps people stay in control of their time, their budgets, and their goals.
Building Financial Security
Dashing provides incremental and supplemental income that supports financial freedom, especially in more challenging economic times. The survey found that 8 in 10 Dashers use income from DoorDash to cover unexpected expenses and nearly three-quarters say dashing income helps them feel even more financially secure.
Across the board, people are turning to dashing more to cover their regular living expenses:
84% use income from dashing to pay for expenses, up four points from 2024.
72% say dashing is helping them meet their financial goals, a nine point increase from last year.
36% use dashing income for family care, a significant eleven point jump from the year prior.
“People’s lives don’t run on fixed schedules anymore and flexible work can make a real difference,” says Brian Kaufmann, Head of Policy for DoorDash Canada. “DoorDash gives Canadians an easy way to earn a little extra when they need it — whether that’s to cover bills, save for something important, or just create a bit more breathing room.”
Being Your Own Boss
One of the main reasons that DoorDash is appealing for supplementing income is because it provides Dashers with the flexibility to work when they want, where they want, and for how long they want. There are no set hours, and you are in charge of your own time. It’s the Dasher in the driver’s seat who decides if they have some time to jump on the app to fulfill some orders.
That type of flexibility, which does not exist in most workplaces, is appreciated by 9 in 10 Dashers surveyed. Nearly as many say they like being their own boss (88%), being able to work as much or as little as they want (87%), and having the freedom to choose when and where they dash (85%).
It also bolsters DoorDash as a place people turn when they need a bit of a boost to help make ends meet. Dashers have the freedom to choose when they work with 65% of them purposely targeting busy times, like lunch and dinner rushes, when they know earning opportunities will be maximized. They can also pick times that are convenient for them, working around dropping off or picking up family members (27%) or in between running errands (24%).
Supplementing Existing Work
The flexibility that Dashers value is linked to a continuing trend: two-thirds of Dashers have another job – whether it’s full-time, part-time, freelance or they own their own business – that is supplemented by earnings on DoorDash.
It is the autonomy that is inherent in dashing that makes that possible. An overwhelming 88% of Dashers say one of the reasons they dash is because it lets them keep other jobs and responsibilities. Half of Dashers indicate they would quit dashing if they lose that freedom.
That may be where DoorDash helps the most, with 65% of Dashers coming from households with an income below $75,000 per year.
The 2025 Dasher Survey was an online survey of 3,509 active Dashers conducted between September 30th and October 30th, 2025. It has a margin of error +/-1.7% 19 times out of 20.
