Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders score 400% pay raise after years of advocacy

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, also known as “America’s Sweethearts”, are a 36-member NFL Sideline Squad for the football team of Texas. They secured a staggering 400% pay increase, which was announced during their Netflix docuseries “America’s Sweethearts”: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Season 2 premiered June 18), effective for the upcoming 2025-26 NFL season. After long-standing criticism and advocacy over low wages, even amid multi-billion dollar franchise revenues, the squad urged management for better compensation.

Previously, veteran cheerleaders earned approximately $15 per hour and $500 for appearances. With the new contract, hourly compensation is now around $75 per hour, and per-game pay has jumped from $400 to about $1,600. According to The U.S. Sun, “Four-year veteran cheerleader Megan McElaney said: ‘Our efforts were heard and they wanted to give us a raise. And we ended up getting a 400 percent increase, which is like, life-changing.’” The New York Times also states, “It is a huge increase in a profession known for its low wages, and one that a former cheerleader for the team, Jada McLean, described in an interview with The New York Times as ‘a drastic change’ that could give the cheerleaders more financial security.” The increase in pay for the cheerleaders allows them to focus on cheerleading and gives them the choice to not work other part-time jobs.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have a history of underpayment. In 2018, former cheerleader Erica Wilkins sued the team, alleging wages as low as $7 to $8 per hour and lack of overtime pay. The situation drew more attention and media scrutiny with the Netflix series “America’s Sweethearts,” showing the low payment of the cheerleading team in an NFL organization valued over $10 billion.

Despite the pay breakthrough, the cheerleaders remain classified as part-time employees. According to the Cut, “More crucially, according to McLean, the team still does not provide health insurance for its dancers, though they have access to a team doctor and physical therapist.” They lack full health insurance coverage, but they still have a team doctor. However, without full health insurance coverage, medical bills can get very expensive.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’

Sources:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/35491307/dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders-salary-dancers-pay/

https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14517020/dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders-pay-decision-nfl/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/style/dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders-salary-americas-sweethearts.html

https://www.thecut.com/article/how-much-americas-sweethearts-dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders-paid.html