After Decades Of Underpayment, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Finally Get A 400% Raise

With white boots, sky-high kicks, and pageant-ready smiles, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were living the dream. Turns out, they weren’t getting paid like it. Until now.

Up until recently, we learned in 2024 that cheerleaders like Jada McLean were making $15 an hour and $500 per appearance. That was her fifth year on the squad when she revealed her pay. “I would say I’m making… like a Chick-fil-A worker who works full time,” former cheerleader Kat Puryear told Netflix in last year’s America’s Sweethearts docuseries. Meanwhile, the team’s mascot was reportedly earning twice that.

Now, in a twist that would’ve felt like wishful thinking a season ago, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are finally getting paid. Season two of America’s Sweethearts dropped this week, and in episode seven, the women find out they’re getting a 400% pay bump.

It’s “a drastic change,” McLean told The New York Times, adding that veteran cheerleaders could now be making over $75 an hour. The new deal also adjusts how game day and appearances are paid out, though health insurance still isn’t part of the package. “They’re considered part-time employees,” McLean explained, which is why benefits like insurance aren’t included.

The franchise wouldn’t confirm exact numbers but did say the raise applies across the entire squad, but that’s a long way from where they started. In 2018, Erica Wilkins sued the team over low pay, saying she was getting paid about $7 an hour. At the time, cheerleaders were reportedly earning a flat rate of $200 per game, no overtime, and less than the team’s mascot. The case was settled, but the wage issue stuck around. It got louder last year when fans learned just how much effort these women were putting in – grueling rehearsals, outside jobs, strict beauty standards – and what little they were being compensated.

“We’re talented, strong, educated women and we’re hard-working athletes who deserve to be seen as such,” McLean said.

Getting to this moment wasn’t easy. “There were moments where I think we all broke down,” she said, recalling the conversations she and fellow cheerleaders Armani Latimer, Chandi Dayle, and Megan McElaney had while weighing whether to even sign next season’s contract. “We were met with ‘OK, we hear you and we understand where you’re coming from, unfortunately, this is just not the time for that,’” Latimer said. At one point, the women even discussed a walkout.

Every year, thousands audition for a shot at the uniform. Even veterans have to re-compete for their spots. One wrong facial expression in rehearsal, one imperfect kick, and it could be over. On top of that, they’re expected to maintain a very specific look: spray tans, lashes, extensions, all smiles. They’re allowed to accept brand deals and sponsorships if it doesn’t interfere with the job, and some have started monetizing their exposure since the Netflix series took off.

Behind the scenes, director Kelli Finglass was also trying to help. She called the new pay structure “60-plus years long overdue” and pointed to things like Botox, hair appointments, and physical therapy sessions the team helped comp as ways to offset cost.

Still, as Dr. Daniel Kelly II of NYU pointed out, no one ever asks the football players to accept low pay for the sake of prestige. “The argument that cheerleaders do it for something bigger than money... that’s not wielded against the players,” he said.

Charlotte Jones once defended the low wages by saying the women “don’t come here for the money.” Maybe they didn’t, but they shouldn’t have to choose between being paid fairly and getting to perform at an elite level.

With this raise, the DCC has done what most other cheer squads haven’t: forced real financial change without being unionized. “The increase… will not only benefit the Cowboys cheerleaders,” said Kelly, “but also raise the overall market rate for cheerleaders across the board.”

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