The numbers are going to surprise you — and probably make you a little angry.
NFL cheerleaders perform at games watched by tens of millions of people, for franchises worth $5 to $10 billion each. They rehearse multiple times per week, maintain elite athletic and appearance standards, travel with their teams, and represent their franchises at public events throughout the year.
The average NFL cheerleader earns approximately $150 per game — totaling roughly $22,500 for an entire season.
For comparison, NFL waterboys earn approximately $53,000 per year. Team mascots earn approximately $25,000 per season. The minimum NFL player salary is $795,000.
Here is the full breakdown — per game pay, practice rates, appearance fees, the Dallas Cowboys pay raise, the lawsuits that changed the industry, and which teams pay the most.
Per-Game Pay: $75 to $500 Depending on the Team
NFL cheerleaders are classified as independent contractors, not full-time employees. This means teams are not required to pay them a salary or provide benefits like health insurance, paid time off, or retirement contributions.
Instead, cheerleaders are paid on a per-game basis. The range across the league:
| Team Range | Per Game Pay |
|---|---|
| Low end (some squads) | $75 per game |
| League average | $150 per game |
| Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (post-raise) | Estimated $500+ per game |
The $75 to $150 range was first reported in detail by The Atlantic in 2014, citing the Cowboys ($150/game at the time), Baltimore Ravens ($100/game), and Los Angeles Chargers ($75/home game only). ESPN later reported that most squads fell in the $75–$150 range. That range has held broadly across the league for over a decade, though individual team policies have evolved.
With 8 to 9 home games per season (regular season plus potential playoff games), a cheerleader earning $150 per game makes $1,200 to $1,350 in game-day pay for an entire regular season. Adding in public appearances and practice pay, total seasonal earnings for most cheerleaders across the league fall in the $10,000 to $22,500 range.
See also: 2026-2027 NFL Schedule
The Dallas Cowboys Exception: A 400% Pay Raise
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are the most famous squad in the NFL, and they became the center of a major compensation story in 2025 and 2026 thanks to the Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
The show put their working conditions and pay structure under national scrutiny. One featured cheerleader, Jada McLean, shared with The New York Times that in her fifth year on the squad (2024), she was earning $15 per hour for practices and $500 per appearance.
By the end of America’s Sweethearts Season 2, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders had negotiated a 400% pay increase. The exact new figures were not revealed on camera, but veteran cheerleaders reportedly now earn over $75 per hour for certain activities, with higher game-day and appearance fees.
This raise applies only to the Dallas Cowboys squad. It has, however, put pressure on other franchises. When the most iconic cheerleading squad in the NFL publicly wins a major pay increase, it sets a new standard the rest of the league will eventually need to address.
Practice Pay: $9 to $15 Per Hour
Cheerleaders spend far more time in practice than they do performing at games. Most NFL squads rehearse two to three times per week, with sessions running three to four hours each.
Practice pay across the league:
- Low end: $9 to $12.50 per hour
- Mid range: $12.50 to $15 per hour
- Post-raise Cowboys: Over $75 per hour for veterans (as of 2026)
A cheerleader attending 3 practices per week at 3.5 hours each, for 22 weeks of the season, earns approximately $20.80 per session at $10/hour — totaling around $2,000 to $3,000 for the full season in practice pay alone.
Appearance Fees: $50 to $500 Per Event
Beyond games and practices, NFL cheerleaders are required (and sometimes paid) to appear at community events, corporate appearances, charity events, and media shoots. Pay varies widely:
- Standard public appearances: $50 to $75 per event
- Corporate or private events: $150 to $500
- Calendar or promotional shoots: Variable, often unpaid on many squads
- International USO tours: Typically unpaid, considered a privilege by most squads
One of the long-standing complaints among current and former cheerleaders is that many required appearances — promotional shoots, sponsor events, certain community events — were historically either unpaid or paid at nominal rates, meaning cheerleaders were effectively donating labor to their franchises.
The Lawsuits: A Turning Point for Cheerleader Pay
The disparity between cheerleader pay and the billions generated by the franchises that employ them became a legal issue starting in 2014.
2014 — Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields vs. the Oakland Raiders: A former Raiders cheerleader sued the team for wage theft, claiming she made only $1,250 for an entire season. The lawsuit triggered an investigation from the US Department of Labor, which determined Raiders cheerleaders were earning approximately $5 per hour — well below California’s minimum wage at the time.
2016 onwards — Multiple teams face suits: By 2020, at least 10 NFL teams had faced lawsuits from current or former cheerleaders over unfair wages, unsafe working conditions, or harassment. The Buffalo Bills were cited in reports where one former cheerleader claimed she made $105 for an entire season while paying $600 out of pocket for her uniform.
The legal outcomes: Several lawsuits resulted in settlements, with teams paying back wages and revising their contracts. The most significant industry-wide changes came from public pressure rather than legal mandates, since each team operates its cheerleading squad independently.
See also: NFL Bye Weeks 2026: Every Team’s Week Off and Fantasy Football Impact
Which NFL Teams Don’t Have Cheerleaders?
Not every NFL team has a cheerleading squad. As of 2026, the following teams do not have traditional sideline cheerleaders:
- Chicago Bears (one of the oldest franchises in the league, no squad)
- Cleveland Browns (eliminated their squad, briefly had one)
- Green Bay Packers (no squad)
- New York Giants (no squad)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (no squad)
- Los Angeles Chargers (discontinued their squad)
Each of these franchises has concluded that the business case for a cheerleading squad does not meet the investment required — particularly given the legal, reputational, and financial scrutiny surrounding cheerleader pay.
Cheerleaders vs. Other Game-Day Staff
One of the most frequently cited statistics in cheerleader pay discussions is the comparison to other non-player game-day roles:
| Role | Annual Earnings |
|---|---|
| NFL Cheerleader (average) | ~$22,500 |
| NFL Mascot | ~$25,000/season |
| NFL Waterboy | ~$53,000/year |
| NFL Referee | ~$350,000/year |
| NFL Minimum Player Salary | $795,000/year |
| NFL Head Coach (average) | ~$6.7 million/year |
The waterboy comparison is the one that circulates most widely on social media — and the numbers are accurate. Waterboys are typically full-time team employees with benefits, which explains the higher annual compensation. But the gap remains striking to most observers.
Can Cheerleaders Make a Living From It?
For most NFL cheerleaders, the answer is no. The average total seasonal earnings of approximately $22,500 are not enough to live on in most NFL cities, which tend to be major urban areas with high costs of living.
The vast majority of NFL cheerleaders hold separate full-time or part-time jobs during the season. Many are teachers, nurses, physical therapists, dancers who perform in other productions, or students. Cheering is a side commitment that requires elite-athlete levels of dedication while paying part-time wages.
The exceptions: cheerleaders in the top-paying markets (primarily Dallas after the pay increase) who also earn significant appearance fees from corporate bookings can approach livable seasonal income. Veterans with strong individual marketability — those who become brand ambassadors or social media presences on the side — can supplement meaningfully beyond the team pay scale.
The AmericanFootballSchedule.com Editorial Team is a group of football writers, schedule analysts, and die-hard NFL fans dedicated to providing the most accurate and complete American football schedule information on the web. Our team covers all 32 NFL teams, every FBS college football program, and the full CFL season from opening kickoff through the Grey Cup.