The mega-viral reality show, America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, is back on Netflix for its second season and the girls have had a pretty huge pay rise. The first season gave us an intimate look inside one of the most elite cheerleading teams in the world, and it’s set to do just that again. So, excuse us if we’ll be spending our entire weekends diving back into the world of training camps and cutthroat auditions.
But stepping beyond the gruelling training sessions and Kelli Finglass’ blunt reviews, the reason so many of us couldn’t look away from the show was the stark realities of what it takes for every woman on the 36-person squad to commit fully to the cheer lifestyle. The physical demands, and toll it takes on their bodies to do a landing split day after day for years, as well as the time sacrifice that comes with giving their lives to the squad had us enthralled.
But one point of contention that emerged during the first season was the low salaries each of the women were afforded as an NFL cheerleader. It was estimated last year that the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders’ annual salaries were approximately $75,000 USD (roughly $115,ooo AUD), but this was estimated to be significantly higher than other teams.
According to NBC Sports Boston, which also provided the $75,000 figure, the average cheerleader (that is, a cheerleader who works for a team that isn’t as high profile as the Dallas Cowboys), the salaries are typically as low as $22,500 USD ($34,500 AUD). This is less than waterboys ($53,000 USD per year), who are more accurately physical therapists in training, and mascots ($25,000).
According to the publication, most cheerleaders are paid so low because they are employed as independent contractors, which means companies don’t need to adhere to minimum wage laws or pay benefits like health insurance. Those are two reasons many of the cheerleaders have jobs outside of the program. When you consider the training and pressure placed on cheerleaders and the fact that the median NFL player salary is $860,000 USD (the average is $2.7 million), it paints a pretty sad and stark picture. It’s hardly surprising that many of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders retire after five years on the squad.
When season one of DCC aired last year, this topic of conversation was placed in the spotlight, and rightfully so. Which is why is was such a big deal when it was announced upon the launch of season two that the Dallas Cheerleaders had seen a major increase in their salaries. Here’s what we know.
How Much Do The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Earn?
One of the big justifications for low salaries that was pushed following the release of season one of America’s Sweethearts was that the cheerleaders for NFL teams also earn money for promotional work they do throughout the season. This was followed quite closely in season one. But even with this in mind, there was a lot of critique over the salaries, and fairly so.
But in what is one of the bigger bombshells from the second season, the DCC have been given a 400% pay rise. According to reporting by The New York Times, this follows a seven-year fight for better pay, which started when former cheerleader Erica Wilkins suing the team in 2018 for unfair pair. In the lawsuit, she claimed that she was paid about $7 an hour and $200 per game, which is far lower than what has been reported more recently.
In an interview with the Times, former cheerleader for the team revealed that in 2024, she made $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance, which is in-line with what NBC Sports Boston reported last year. She estimated that with the recent pay bump, cheerleaders could now be making $75 an hour and said there had also been changed made around pay for games and promotional work.
McLean has also said she’s heartened to see the progress in the industry and hopes it continues in the future. “I think we’re just really happy with where we’ve ended up with all of that, and where that conversation has landed,” McLean told Bustle. “Hopefully, in the future, that’ll just be a discussion that continues to get better and better… But for the progress made in one season, I think it’s something that we’re all very proud of.”
The increase will also reportedly increase salaries across the board for cheerleaders on other teams, which is long-overdue.
