How Much Do the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Make? What ‘America’s Sweethearts’ Season 2 Revealed

There are many perks to being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, but historically, a big paycheck wasn't one of them. Season 1 of America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders left fans shocked after learning that team members earned roughly minimum wage. Many took on second or third jobs to stay afloat, like Kelcey Wetterberg, a five-year veteran of the team who also worked as a pediatric nurse.

"Like any other NFL cheerleader, you have to be able to have another income coming in [and] you have to have another job with it," fan-favorite cheerleader Reece Weaver said in a 2024 appearance on the Unplanned podcast.

While this revelation sparked Internet outrage—with fans citing the team’s hours of unpaid preparation and overall popularity as reasons for a deserved salary boost—the situation didn’t change overnight. Despite the success of the Netflix series, the cheerleaders didn’t receive a pay bump for the 2024-2025 football season.

"We got our contracts and probably wrongly assumed that it maybe would have been different, just because of everything that was on TV," squad member Kylie Dickson said on the show. "The world was kind of telling us, 'Girls, fight for more!'"

In season 2 of the hit Netflix series, the spirited squad members’ battle for a pay increase was a major storyline. Veterans of the team united to advocate for a raise—and in the end, they got something to cheer about. Spoiler alert for season 2: Dallas Cowboys executives agreed to a 400% pay increase for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders during the 2025-26 football year.

"Our efforts were heard and they wanted to give us a raise," team member Megan McElaney said to the cameras. "And we ended up getting a 400% increase, which is like, life-changing."

Five-year veteran Jada McLean, who retired at the end of the 2024-2025 season, helped fight for the change. "’Happy' isn't even the right word for it," she said on the show. "I think I was just ... [I] kind of felt, like, a relief, like everything had paid off. And it was, you know, finally, we were done fighting."

With their ‘life-changing’ 400% pay increase in mind, how much does a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader make? Here’s everything squad members have shared about their payment for picking up the pom-poms.

How much do NFL cheerleaders make on average?

A 2014 PBS report revealed that cheerleaders made between $75 and $150 per game. While cheerleaders for the San Diego Chargers made only $75 per game at the time, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders' earnings were on the higher end of the range, with their roughly $150 fee per game coming out to about $22,500 per year.

Multiple lawsuits from various NFL cheerleaders, including DCC alum Erica Wilkins, have resulted in gradual pay increases over time. Wilkins sued her former team in 2018, alleging that she was paid $8 an hour for a grand total of $16,500 in 2016. In the same lawsuit, she claimed the Dallas Cowboy’s mascot Rowdy (played by a man) earned $65,000 that year.

A 2019 settlement led to Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders’ hourly wages being raised to $12 and game-day pay doubling from $200 to $400, WFAA reported.

“I’ve heard horror stories of what a typical NFL cheerleader makes, but the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders fall into a new category,” America’s Sweethearts director and executive producer Greg Whiteley told Glamour in 2024. “None of them are rich. None of them are getting paid a ton, but it isn’t the same dearth of payment that I think other NFL cheerleaders have to experience.”

How much do the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make?

A 2022 report by NBC Sports Boston touted the ‘America’s Sweethearts’ squad as among the highest-paid in the league, with a supposed per-game pay of $500, or $15 to $20 an hour. That figure raises their yearly salary to about $75,000.

The New York Times confirmed that amount in 2025, as former squad member Jada McLean told the publication she made $15 an hour and $500 per appearance in 2024. She also revealed that team members’ payment rates vary based on experience. In the 2024 season, she was in her fifth year with the DCC.

With the 400% pay increase announced on season 2 of America’s Sweethearts, returning team members could be making around $75 an hour, or over $150,000 per year. That’s not including additional earnings from optional appearances and social media sponsorships—or factoring in a potential pay scale based on seniority.

Greg Whiteley, the director and executive producer of the Netflix series following the team’s trials and triumphs, told Glamour he never got a “clean answer” about the cheerleaders’ salaries. “I think that’s because it varies depending on how senior you are in the group,” he explained. “You may even get paid more if you’re a group leader, though that was never clear to me.”

Are the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders paid for training camp?

It’s unclear whether or not Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders get paid while attending their rigorous pre-season training camp. According to the team’s official website, training camp runs from mid-June to mid- or late-July. And attending a training camp doesn’t guarantee a spot on the squad during football season.

The DCC website states that “Employment begins at the start of DCC Training Camp for all eligible candidates, including re-auditioning veterans invited to Training Camp.” Since the program is described as a “part-time, hourly employment position,” it’s likely that aspiring team members are paid an hourly wage while attending training camp.

That said, Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team members do receive payment for their weekly rehearsals and performances at home games. They’re also paid for other optional appearances and rehearsals, according to the team’s website—although an exact rate isn’t specified.

What have team members said about the salary increase?

The 400% pay raise came as a result of the collective bargaining of veteran team members Jada McLean, Megan McElaney, and Armani Latimer. The end of America’s Sweethearts season 2 chronicled their hard-won victory, which prompted emotional reactions from retiring and returning team members.

"I love the fact that I made change for the girls that are coming up behind me, even if I'm not getting a chance to benefit,” McLean, who retired at the end of the 2024-2025 season, said on the show. Early in the second season of America’s Sweethearts, viewers learned she’d nearly been evicted from her home after falling behind on rent, inspiring her to lead the latest push for a pay increase.

"We pushed, and we got back good results," Latimer said of the win for future DCC members. Four-year team veteran McElaney, who will be returning next season, called the major raise “life-changing.”

What have Dallas Cowboys executives said?

Charlotte Jones, the co-owner of the Dallas Cowboys and daughter of team owner Jerry Jones, responded to discourse about the cheerleading team’s low pay in season 2 of America’s Sweethearts.

“There’s a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders, and as it should be—they’re not paid a lot,” she said. “But the facts are they actually don’t come here for the money....They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in the field of dance to get to perform at an elite level.

“It is about being a part of something bigger than themselves,” she continued. “It is about a sisterhood that they were able to form, about relationships that they have for the rest of their life. They have a chance to feel like they are valued, that they are special and that they are making a difference. When the women come here, they find their passion and they find their purpose.”

Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team director Kelli Finglass praised the women who advocated for better pay at the squad’s year-end banquet, as shown in the America’s Sweethearts season 2 finale. “You guys have moved some mountains this year that will forever change our organization and hopefully dancers' organizations across the world," she said, calling the victory “60-plus years long overdue.”