The Dallas Cowboys' Cheerleaders Are Finally Getting a Pay Raise
The Dallas Cowboys’ iconic cheerleaders are finally receiving a long-overdue pay raise. For years, NFL cheerleaders have been known to be notoriously underpaid in the NFL. Now, the Cowboys cheerleaders’ salaries have skyrocketed, increasing by 400 percent.
Many people assume that NFL cheerleaders make a lot of money and receive similar benefits to NFL players. In reality, cheerleaders make less than most NFL mascots, who on average make around $50k to $55k annually. Greg Whiteley, the director of the cheerleading show, “America’s Sweethearts”, said, “Like a lot of people, I assumed that it was a full-time job. I would have thought, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, you must make six figures and live in a great house.’”
The pay raise was announced in the second season’s Episode 7 of the Netflix docuseries “America’s Sweethearts”. This show showcases the behind-the-scenes of being an NFL cheerleader and quickly became one of Netflix’s top 10 shows. During the episode, it showcased cheerleaders’ work and effort, such as unionizing and negotiating, to try and get higher pay. For instance, in the episode, it talked about a cheerleader named Erica Wilkins suing her team for their low pay back in 2018. She claimed that she only earned $7 per hour and $200 per game. Although her case was later settled outside of the court and no pay improvements were really made, it drew attention to the low salaries that were given.
The new pay raise for the Cowboys’ cheerleaders is significant. A former cheerleader on the Cowboys, Jada Mclean, said that the change would help bring more financial security to cheerleaders during an interview with the New York Times. In the 2024 season, Ms. Mclean only earned $15 per hour and $500 for every game appearance. But for the upcoming season, she said that the Cowboys’ cheerleaders can now earn up to $75 per hour, based on their experience. However, there still isn’t any health insurance.
Before each season, thousands of women contestants line up to make it into the Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleading team, including its own cheerleaders from past and previous seasons. Even veteran cheerleaders faced uncertainty and pressure when it came to their careers with every new season.
Due to their low-paying wages, cheerleaders were forced to find separate full-time jobs that would help them earn more money. Juggling their regular full-time job and attending cheerleading practices for hours every week was very physically demanding for them.
As a whole, having a huge pay raise for the Cowboys for the 2025-2026 season is a huge step for NFL cheerleading. As Ms. Mclean said, “We are more than just cheerleaders. We’re talented, strong, educated women and we’re hard-working athletes who deserve to be seen as such.”
