Give me….an A! And give them a better pay! NFL Cheerleaders are a staple whenever it comes to football games. With flips, tricks, and team spirit, they do their job pretty effortlessly, but they’re getting little in compensation.
The question of pay comes after seeing what work goes into a typical performance after a new hit Netflix series came out. The daily lives of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders during the 2023-2024 season are highlighted in America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The new docuseries comes from Emmy Award-winning director Greg Whiteley and the team behind Cheer and Last Chance U. Led by longtime director Kelli Finglass, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders open their doors to document the personal stories behind the uniforms – revealing the drive, hustle, and drama among the cheerleaders and coaches.
The series focuses on the long days and nights that each cheerleader goes through—and the extra work that goes to maintaining their passion.
How much do Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make?
The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders earn about $15-20 per hour, or $500 per game. In yearly salary, it’s estimated at $75,000, per NBC Sports Boston.
These cheerleaders are actually being paid more than the average NFL cheerleader. “Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are on the highest end of that [NFL cheer] pay scale,” Whiteley told Glamour. I’ve heard horror stories of what a typical NFL cheerleader [makes], but I think the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders fall into a new category. None of them are rich. None of them are getting paid a ton, but it isn’t the same dearth of payment that I think other NFL cheerleaders have to experience.”
An average NFL cheerleader makes around $22,500 a year according to ESPN. The outlet reported that cheerleaders earn approximately $75 to $150 per game. Cheerleaders are also expected to upkeep their appearance and usually spend their money out of pocket on hair and cosmetic treatments.
DCC veteran Kat Puryear compared her pay to other jobs. “I would say I’m making like…a substitute teacher,” she says. “I would say I’m making [as much money as[ like a Chick-fil-A worker who works full time.” Some of the cheerleaders have other primary jobs to fulfill their pay. First group leader Kelcey Wetterberg is a pediatric registered nurse, while rookie Reece Allman gets a gig in a flower shop.
Several NFL cheerleaders sued 10 of the NFL’s 32 teams for wage theft, harassment, unsafe working conditions or discrimination, according to The Guardian. One former “Buffalo Jill” cheerleader who claimed she pocketed just $105 for an entire season after paying over $600 for her uniform. In comparison, a mascot can earn up to $65,000 in a year and a first-round pick in the NFL draft gets paid between $12.1 million and $39.5 million.
Related: NFL Rookie Salaries Means Players Make Serious Bank In Their First Year
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is now available to stream on Netflix.
