The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders get a 400% Wage Increase
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the “America’s Sweethearts,” won a record pay increase, a milestone in the four-decade history of the squad. As revealed on Season 2 of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the cheerleaders succeeded in getting a 400% wage increase after decades of inactive pay and growing public pressure.
Prior to the boost, cheerleaders were earning about $15 an hour and about $500 per promotional appearance. Although the Cowboys are among the NFL’s most profitable franchises, these amounts were too small to cover a living wage, and numerous team members ended up working second or even third jobs. One such veteran, for example, was cheering full-time as a full-time pediatric nurse. Such was the harsh reality that stood in sharp contrast to the glamorous public perception of the squad and came to prominence after Season 1 of the Netflix documentary was released. Even after the first season attracted renewed attention to their paltry remuneration, the organization did not make any changes to compensation for the next year, leaving many veterans disheartened.
Season 2 chronicles the coordinated struggle for equal pay by the cheerleaders, spearheaded by veterans Jada McLean, Megan McElaney, and Armani Latimer. Supported by squad director Kelli Finglass as well as other senior leadership members, the cheerleaders banded together. Finglass herself called the movement long-overdue, commending the team for standing up for themselves in a calculated way.
Their campaign led to a dramatic breakthrough. The organization sanctioned the 400% hike for the 2025 – 2026 season. For most veterans, it means an hourly salary of approximately $75, a six-figure salary annually, light-years away from past compensation. The sweetest moment when the cheerleaders discovered the news of the new contract was captured in the series, with McLean describing the outcome as surreal and highly affirming. Executive Charlotte Jones, who until then had been generally quiet on the matter, also aggreed that the pay raise was long overdue and essential to making the squad competitive so that it is keeping and attracting the very best talent.
The boost isn’t simply better pay, it’s a ideal shift in professional cheerleaders’ attitude. NFL cheerleaders, in particular, until recent times received between $75 to $150 per game, with median yearly income at approximately $22,500. The public has begun to alter this gradually, but the win by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders particularly sets the bar higher.
This achievement is not solely for money. It’s demonstrating what can be accomplished when a group of young women uses their fame and individuality to take down a system that has dominated for so long. As the series illustrates, it wasn’t simple, but the result has transformed what it means to wear the iconic uniform and what that uniform is worth.
Great work!