NFL Cheerleader Pay: How Much Do ‘America’s Sweethearts’ and Other Teams Actually Make?
The topic of low pay for NFL cheerleaders has resurfaced, sparked by comments made in Netflix’s new series, “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.”
“I would say I’m making like a Chick-fil-A worker that works full time,” former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Katherine Puryear reveals in the series’ first episode. Puryear, a key commentator throughout the show, discusses her earnings, a recurrent theme in the episode. Recently, Puryear took to TikTok to delve deeper into the subject, with her video garnering over seven million views.
The TikTok video starts with the scene from the series and an onscreen caption that reads, “Clearing some things up,” accompanied by a blushing, hand-over-mouth emoji. “OK, here’s my spiel,” Puryear begins, attempting to clarify her pay as a Cowboys cheerleader. However, she admits she can’t disclose exact figures due to contractual limitations.
“I can’t tell you every dollar amount because I don’t read my contract all the way full, and I think it says something about not disclosing that stuff,” she says in the TikTok video. “So, I’m just not even going to play around with it.”
The Netflix series briefly touches on cheerleader pay early on. “I think my game day fee was $35, and we basically donated that back,” former Cowboys cheerleader Tina Kalina mentions in the first episode. Kalina, the mother of current Cowboys cheerleader Victoria Kalina, contrasts the perspectives of past and present cheerleaders.
“These Millennials, X-Gen, whatever they’re called, they do look at it as a job, where us old-timers look at it as more of a privilege,” she adds.
Charlotte Jones, executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys, addresses the issue as well. “You know, there’s a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders… as it should be,” Jones acknowledges. “They’re not paid a lot. But the facts are they actually don’t come here for the money. They come here for something that’s actually bigger than that to them,” she continues. “They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in the field of dance to get to perform at an elite level.”
In her TikTok video, Puryear explains that cheerleaders are paid a flat fee for games, plus an hourly wage on game days, which can typically last 11 hours. She adds that practices are also paid hourly.
Appearances at local events come with a flat fee plus an hourly rate, according to Puryear. However, these fees vary based on the cheerleader’s tenure, capping at five years. “Fifth-years make a lot more money because of your tenure, your time,” Puryear notes, adding that appearances are voluntary.
How Much Are Cheerleaders Getting Paid?
Puryear’s TikTok explanation aligns with a 2022 report from NBC Sports Boston about NFL cheerleaders’ pay. According to the report, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders earned about $15-20 per hour or $500 per game, averaging out to $75,000 per year. This contrasts with the average NFL cheerleader earnings of about $150 per game, or $22,500 per year.
Are Cheerleaders Full-Time?
“It’s like a full-time… full-time commitment, part-time pay,” Puryear concludes in her TikTok video. “It’s a good part-time job, but we do a lot of work.” She mentions having a part-time job during her cheerleading tenure, while the series showcases several team members balancing full-time day jobs with their cheerleading responsibilities.
