Dallas Cheerleaders Get a Raise
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) are receiving a significant pay raise for the 2025 NFL season, as revealed in the second season of their Netflix show, “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.”
The pay raise is a significant 400%, with different pay scales for rehearsals, games, and appearances. For example, games can pay out be more than twice the amount for smaller rehearsals, while appearances vary on what the dancers they attend. Veteran cheerleaders can earn around $150,000 annually, or potentially more than $75 per hour for some appearances.
The increase in pay is a result of the cheerleader’s efforts to earn better wages, following a long history of low pay, financial struggles, and part-time jobs. Previously, cheerleaders were paid as little as $7-$8 per hour and $200 per game.
In 2018, a lawsuit filed by former cheerleader Erica Wilkins, led to a movement in 2019 that doubled the per-game pay and increased hourly wages. She shared several quotes about her experience and advocacy for better compensation for cheerleaders.
Wilkins stated that many cheerleaders, including herself, were afraid to speak out while on the team, but she decided it was time for someone to make a difference. She believes that professional cheerleaders deserved fair pay and that women deserve equal pay to other employees in the organization. She noted the fear associated with speaking out, asking how change could be made otherwise.
A former cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys, Jada McLean, described the increased pay as a “drastic change” that could provide more financial security to the cheerleaders.
The raise is expected to not only benefit the DCC but also to raise the overall market rate for cheerleaders across the NFL!
As Dr. Daniel Kelly II, associate dean at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport, explained, the DCC pay raise “sends a ripple through the industry” and “raises the market rate for all cheerleaders.” While the cheerleaders previously had a team doctor and physical therapist available, health insurance was not provided.
The Dallas Cowboys organization, including chief brand officer Charlotte Jones (daughter of owner Jerry Jones), has made statements about the pay raise for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Jones has acknowledged the low pay of NFL cheerleaders, saying, “There’s a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders—and as it should be. They’re not paid a lot.” This part of her statement shows understanding and even sympathy for cheerleaders that are underpaid.
She has also emphasized that cheerleaders join the team for something “bigger than that to them.”
According to Jones, they are driven by a “passion for dance” and the opportunity to perform at an “elite level,” to be part of “something bigger than themselves,” to experience “a sisterhood,” and to feel “valued,” “special,” and like they’re “making a difference.”
Veteran cheerleader Jada McLean, who advocated for the raise, expressed pride and highlighted the team’s unity in achieving this. The Cowboys organization indicated satisfaction with the pay raise’s outcome.
An official statement to NBC News from the Dallas Cowboys stated, “We’re pleased, as you’ll see in the series, that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were happy with the outcome.” The recent pay increase represents a change, acknowledging the cheerleaders’ call for better compensation and better outcomes.
