How Much Are Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Making Per Year?

If you’re an NFL fan then there is a high chance that The Dallas Cowboys team is one of your favorites, having one of the highest net worths in all of the league. The salaries of the members of this team are also decent, considering their great number of titles and successes throughout the years. But how much are the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders actually making?

Members of the cheerleading teams at the Dallas Cowboys currently receive around $500 per game or between $15 and $20 per hour. A Dallas Cowboys cheerleader won’t be able to make more than $75,000 per season.

But read this article in its entirety to find out other interesting things about this very popular cheerleading team from the National Football League.

The Salary of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – How Much Will These Cheerleaders Make?

The average salary of cheerleaders in the NFL will be around $50 to $75 per public appearance, according to publicly available data sources. They can also receive around $150 in additional income per game day.

These numbers are considered an average for a full tournament, but when it comes to a brand that is as popular as the Dallas Cowboys team, these salaries are, of course, considerably higher.

So how much can you make as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader? Most Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders receive around $15 to $20 per hour or $500 per match. The maximum salary a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys can make is $75,000 per year, as I said above.

You might also like my articles on the salary of waterboys, cheerleaders from other teams, or referees in the NFL.

This salary isn’t half bad, but keep in mind that it is still the most a cheerleader will make in the NFL because this is the famous cheerleading team in the league. Even so, older discussions around Dallas Cowboys talked about a treatment that was far from ideal when it came to the cheerleaders.

The Popular Lawsuit Between Dallas Cowboys And Cheerleaders

It actually took quite the courage for someone to dare to stand up and fight the team legally to get cheerleaders to reach this salary.

Erica Wilkins, who was a former cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys, actually sued the team she used to play for over the unfair salary she received. Wilkins actually worked very hard and even put in the needed extra hours to film a show for the CMT called Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. She also spends a lot of time on social media to promote the name Dallas Cowboys.

Although Wilkins alleged that she had to work above the standard 40 hours per week, she argued that she received less no overtime pay. The trial took place in 2018 and was related to the pay she received between 2014 and 2017. During that time, the former cheerleader said that she received $10,000 less than what she was supposed to, with a yearly salary of just $65,000 per year.

According to Erica Wilkins, she was only paid with $200 per match day and around $8 per hour when she was on the team. And to make things worse, the salary she received was even lower than what was at the time considered the minimum wage in the league.

The cheerleaders that play for the team are also unable to get a second job, as they have to go through very strict practice sessions, events, and performances.

This lawsuit ended with a win for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who received a wage increase from $9 to $12 per hour. The game day bonus also increased from $200 to double that.

The Dallas Cowboys wasn’t the only team to get hit with a lawsuit from a cheerleader. Other teams in the NFL, including the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Oakland Raiders, also had to fight legal battles with cheerleaders over their pay. These teams also had to increase the salary of the cheerleaders after these events.

Not very long ago, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team also filed a federal lawsuit, claiming that their wages were considerably smaller than the salaries males received.

The amount women are able to earn in sports is still considered below what men make, even though the Equal Pay Act of 1963 forces employers to pay men and women the same.

Requirements Needed To Become A Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader

To join the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader team, you must have graduated high school and have an age of over 18 years. As an applicant, you will have to be able to participate not only in events but also in rehearsal sessions. You will also have to be fit enough for the rigorous performance and training schedule.

You will also be required to provide proof that you are able to work in the US legally. The team has no restrictions when it comes to height or weight and as long as you’re over the age of 18, there are no other requirements you should know about.

You will also have to have no body piercings or tattoos on your body while you’re applying for the team. Furthermore, as long as you have great control over your time, you can find an extra source of income aside from the NFL cheerleader salary. There are also cheerleaders that are happily married and even have children.

Keep in mind that dating an NFL player of the same team is a very sensitive topic in the league. Most teams will have an issue with a cheerleader dating a player while working in the league.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below I will try to go over some of the most popular questions about NFL cheerleaders and their yearly salaries:

How Much Are Professional Cheerleaders Making?

As an NFL cheerleader, you should expect to get around $500 to $700 per game, which translates into $15 to $20 per hour, and a maximum of $2,500 per game in game bonus. This means that professional NFL cheerleaders can easily reach between $8,000 and $15,000 per month and a maximum of $75,000 per season.

Is The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Team Famous?

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleader team is considered the most popular cheerleading squad in the NFL. They even have their own reality TV show, which makes them quite the celebrities. This team also has around 500,000 followers on its official Instagram account.

These very beautiful women don’t just show up in games but also participate in a lot of popular promotional events where they earn extra income.

Are There Teams With No Cheerleaders?

There are currently seven teams in the NFL that have no cheerleading squad.

These are the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants, the Chicago Bears, the Cleveland Browns, and the Buffalo Bills. During home games, it’s not unusual for the Packers to use collegiate cheerleaders.

What is The Yearly Salary of the NFL Waterboys?

I`ve actually written a full article about waterboys in the NFL and you can find it here. You’ll find out from this article that waterboys make about $54,000 per year in the NFL.

What is the Age of The Oldest Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader?

Kelli Finglass, who is the director of the team, states that the oldest woman to ever be called a Cowboys cheerleader is 37 years old.

Although over time, women close to 50 years of age did have a chance to audition, none were actually chosen to become part of the team.

Conclusion

The cheerleaders from the Dallas Cowboys team are known to make around $500 per game day and $15 to $20 in hourly wages. Although this salary isn’t a laughable one, it is still way below what players and other members of the team staff are actually earning. This salary sounds attractive, but it is still relatively low compared to the general level of the league. It will probably take a lot more time before ensuring equality in wages between men and women.

Although cheerleaders are paid less than other staff members, you can’t deny the fact that the Dallas Cowboys is still the team that has the highest wages for their cheerleader squad. This team also stands out when broadcasting the reality show, due to their excellent communication.