A new season of America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders has just landed on Netflix, reigniting interest in the cheerleaders' salaries after a high-profile pay dispute.
What Are the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Paid?
Despite the Dallas Cowboys being worth more than $10 billion (approximately £7.45 billion) at the time, their cheerleaders allegedly received only between $15 and $20 an hour (£11.18 to £14.90) for practice sessions and $500 (£372) per match before the 2025 season. This totalled roughly $75,000 (£55,890) annually for those who secured a spot on the 36-member squad, according to reports from NBC Boston. However, this represented an increase from even lower earnings just years earlier, following long-standing discontent over compensation.
Back in 2018, former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Erica Wilkins successfully sued the organisation, leading to a 2019 settlement that raised wages from $8 (£5.96) per hour to $12 (£8.94) per hour. Match day compensation also increased from $200 (£149) to $400 (£298).
Pay Disparity with NFL Players
Throughout the 2024-25 season featured in the Netflix documentary's second series, the DCC squad remained dissatisfied with their earnings, with many members needing additional jobs to cover living costs. Meanwhile, even the Dallas Cowboys' newest players earned roughly ten times what experienced cheerleaders made, with rookie salaries starting at $750,000 (£558,900) and veterans at $850,000 (£633,460). Quarterback Dak Prescott is the team's top earner, currently averaging $60 million (£44.75 million) annually following his $240 million (£178.83 million) four-year deal.
The Fight for Better Wages
During the 2024-25 season, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders held discussions to address the pay situation and even considered walking out during games, though this never happened. Jada McLean, who was instrumental in securing the squad's new pay agreement, told TIME magazine: "We didn't want to let people down who were so excited to see the cheerleaders after supporting us through the first season of our television show."
In the concluding episode of America's Sweethearts season two, four-year squad member Megan McElaney revealed the team had negotiated a "life-changing" pay rise of 400 percent, with cheerleaders now earning approximately $75 (£55.89) per hour. Experienced cheerleaders can now take home roughly $150,000 (£111,770) annually.
Debate Over the Exact Raise
Nevertheless, the cheerleaders' precise earnings are not disclosed in the programme, and there has been some debate about whether the 400 percent figure is accurate. Squad veteran Reece Weaver shared on the Unplanned podcast last November that the raise was "more like 300 percent," though she emphasised the squad remains "so grateful with the outcome."
"I really don't know all the behind-the-scenes on how it all works out, but what I can say is that it has been such an improvement and a very big increase [over] what we have seen in the past," she continued. Crucially, the raise does not include a fixed payment for match-day appearances, which Weaver describes as a "huge improvement," while the position remains part-time and does not provide health insurance for cheerleaders.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders season 3 is available on Netflix.
