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Cheerleaders are an integral part of the culture of football, especially in the NFL. While they make nowhere near as much as a typical NFL player, they do get paid on a game-by-game basis.
Similar to player pay though, cheerleaders’ salaries may differ depending on the team they cheer for. Overall though, NFL cheerleaders are just contracted workers who are paid per game or on an hourly basis with no real salary. Let’s outline most of what goes into NFL cheerleader salaries including their pay bonuses, appearances, and potential benefits.
As we already mentioned, NFL cheerleaders aren’t signed to a team, they are more of a contract worker type that gets paid on a by-game basis by the franchise. Typically, the teams that do better have better cheerleader teams which results in them receiving higher pay. In 2024, it is believed that NFL cheerleaders will earn around $75 to $150 per game, which equates to about $22,500 per year, which is similar to the amount a team mascot makes ($25,000 per season).
Pay can also vary depending on the cheerleading team’s experience, as well as how many public appearances they make. Since they are under no written contractual obligation, rather a game-by-game paycheck, individual teams can participate in competitions of their choice. This includes the NFL cheerleader playoffs, which is composed of several fun athletic and puzzle activities, and the winning team receives $5,000 in cash.
Over the last few years, NFL cheerleaders have been fighting for better pay, as some argue their pay is unfair and the NFL is conspiring to keep their earnings low (NFL waterboys earn a $53,000 annual salary on average, more than double that of a cheerleader). They only make a flat fee per game (performance and results don’t affect pay), they don’t get paid for mandatory events and rehearsals, and continue to suffer from not being in real market competition with other female athletes.
Much like how the most expensive franchise results in the highest-paid athletes on the team, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders as of 2023 reportedly make the most at about $500 per game, although they still receive no health or insurance benefits from their associated franchise. It’s tough to compare this number to other teams, as the Dallas Cowboys are by far the most popular and highest revenue-generating team in the NFL, which makes the earnings for the cheerleading team significantly higher than any other.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.