​​How Much Do Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Get Paid? NFL Cheerleaders Earn Skimpy Salaries

Netflix’s new docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders offers an inside look at the world of NFL’s most iconic cheer squad. 

From the grueling – and sometimes heartbreaking – audition process to the incredible highs of performing at Cowboys games, the seven-episode series proves that while cheering might look like fun, in reality it’s hard work. And it’s hard work that isn’t always well-compensated. Though the members of the elite dance team are expected to fully dedicate themselves to the Cowboys organization, most also have to work a full-time job in order to make ends meet. 

Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are paid like fast food workers, one says 

For the three dozen women who make the team each year, being a Cowboys cheerleader is often the culmination of a years-long dream. But earning the chance to put on the signature blue-and-white outfit and cowboy boots also means making some big sacrifices. Cheerleaders spend long hours at practice, work up to 11 hours on game days, and must adher to strict rules regarding their appearance. It’s a demanding gig that doesn’t pay much better than working at a fast food restaurant, one woman said. 

“I would say I’m making like a Chick-fil-A worker that works full time,” cheerleader Katherine Puryear said in America’s Sweethearts. 

Her teammate Kelcey Wetterberg says being a DCC is “more of a part-time job” that she does on top of her actual career. 

“As a nurse, I work 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., then go to practice and get home at 12 sometimes 1 a.m.,” she explained. “I mean, a lot of us work full-time jobs and then come to DCC at night. So it can be really exhausting.” 

‘America’s Sweethearts’ stars earn $15 to $20 per hour, according to reports 

The Dallas Cowboys organization doesn’t publicize cheerleader salaries. But according to a 2022 report from NBC Boston they earn $15 to $20 an hour or $500 per game.

In a TikTok, Puryear shed a bit more light on the DCC pay structure. While she didn’t want to disclose specific numbers, she revealed that cheerleaders are paid an hourly rate on top of flat fee for game days and public appearances and an hourly rate for practices. Veteran squad members earn more than rookies, though raises stop after five years. 

“Fifth years make a lot more money because of your tenure,” she said. 

“All in all, it’s a full-time commitment, part-time pay, she added.

While Cowboys cheerleaders aren’t bringing home a huge salary for their hours of work, their pay is higher than it once was. In 2019, the Cowboys settled a lawsuit with a former cheerleader who said she was sometimes paid less than minimum wage during her years with the squad and that during her first year as a DCC, she earned less than $5,000, WFAA reported. The Cowboys later raised cheerleader pay from $8 to $12 per hour and from $200 to $400 per game. 

Dallas Cowboys exec says there is ‘cynicism’ around NFL cheerleader pay  

Although the cheerleaders are a recognizable part of the Cowboys brand, “the cheerleaders have historically not been paid very much,” Sarah Hepola, host of the America’s Girls podcast said in episode 1. 

In the late 1970s, women were paid just $15 per game, the New York Times reported. Tina Kalina, a former DCC and mom of current squad member Victoria Kalina, says in America’s Sweethearts that she was paid $35 a day during her time on the team. 

“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,” Kalina said. 

Cowboys cheerleaders are actually among the better-paid squads in the NFL. The average cheerleader earns $150 per game, according to NBC Boston. 

“You know, there’s a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders… as it should be,” Charlotte Jones executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys, admitted in America’s Sweethearts. “They’re not paid a lot.”

But Jones insists that cheering for the Cowboys is about more than getting paid. 

“The facts are that they actually don’t come here for the money,” she said. “They come here for something that’s actually bigger than that to them. They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in dance to get to perform at an elite level. It is about being part of something bigger than themselves. It is about a sisterhood that they were able to form, about relationships that they have for the rest of their lives.”

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is streaming on Netflix. 

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