DCC Gets a Raise
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC), featured in the amazingly popular Netflix documentary “America’s Sweethearts,” are getting a massive pay raise, 400% more for their 2025 season. This is a significant part of the DCC history because this is a surprisingly low-paying job. These talented and outstanding cheerleaders inspire thousands of fans in the stadium with their energy and performance. The Netflix show documents their whole journey from the audition process to their day-to-day life as a DCC. Their sisterhood, friendship, and love built over this spectacular team of girls.
Jada Mclean, former DCC, class of 2025, leads the discussion with other girls about the pay for this difficult and unique job. These cheerleaders sacrifice a lot of their lives because they want to be on this team. The old minimum pay that these girls were receiving wasn’t enough to get through for most. This raise could help cheerleaders feel more financially secure. In season 2 of the documentary, a group of cheerleaders brought it to the head coaches and directors Kelli Finglass and Judy Trammell that the pay isn’t fair and should be changed. Their calls were ignored for a long time, and the whole time, many of the girls were struggling financially and mentally.
The show didn’t say how much the cheerleaders used to make or what their new pay would be. However, former cheerleader Jada McLean told The New York Times that in 2024, her fifth year, she earned $15 an hour and $500 per appearance, with pay depending on experience. She said the raise could now mean veteran cheerleaders make over $75 an hour. The new contract also changes how pay works for game days and other events, but it still doesn’t offer health insurance. The Cowboys team would not confirm the new pay in a statement.
The Cowboys cheerleaders have been performing for over 50 years, but their popularity surged after “America’s Sweethearts” premiered last summer and became a Netflix top 10 hit. Even the show’s producer, Greg Whiteley, was shocked. He said he assumed cheerleaders were .