The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Just Got a ‘Life-Changing’ Salary Upgrade After They Were Being Paid as Much as Fast Food Workers
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 compensation for the amount of work they do.
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 are highlighted in America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and the second season sees a substantial difference in pay.
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The viral 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 into maintaining their passion.
How much do Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make?
The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders currently earn about $15-20 per hour, or $500 per game. In yearly salary, it’s estimated at $75,000, per NBC Sports Boston. However for the 2025-2026 season, the cheerleaders are expecting a “life-changing” 400% pay increase, as revealed in the seventh episode of Season 2. That’s about $75 per hour according to the New York Times.
“We pushed and we got back good results,” veteran Armani Latimer said. “I get emotional knowing that I was a part of that. I love the fact that I made change for the girls that are coming up behind me, even if I’m not getting a chance to benefit.”
How much does an average NFL cheerleader make?
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.
While the initial salary doesn’t sound like a lot, 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.”
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.
How did the NFL Cheerleaders fight for better pay?
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.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders talked to Us Weekly about the potential of walking out in solidarity to make their cause known. “A walkout was something that we talked about, but at the end of the day, we knew we all wanted to be on that field and as hard as it was to decide what the right choice was to do, we just decided we were gonna cheer,” Jada said. “But still stand firm in what we believed in. And at the end of season 2, there is a resolution that’s positive for us. We did the right thing, even though in the moment we were very unsure if we were making the right decisions or if this was gonna backfire.”
The sudden news of the pay raise has sparked hope for the future of cheerleaders. “You guys have moved some mountains this year that will forever change our organization, and hopefully, dancers’ organizations across the world,” Dallas Cowboys chief brand officer Charlotte Jones said. “It’s just amazing, because that has been 60-plus years long overdue.”
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is now available to stream on Netflix.
