The Dallas Cowboys NFL team have the most iconic cheerleading squad in the world. Known as โAmericaโs Sweethearts,โ the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) shot to international fame following last yearโs hit Netflix docuseries, which re-enforces that a place on the squad is one of the most covetable jobs in the dance industry. Titled Americaโs Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the series follows DCC from trials to training and into the football season.
While it does, of course, feature star-spangled hot pants and big hair aplenty, the documentary didnโt shy away from revealing the grit behind the glamour, either. As soon as it aired, the gender politics that play out in the organisation (and therefore on the show) were heavily scrutinisedโbut it wasnโt just the narrow beauty standards and questionable comments that garnered attention. Rather, people couldnโt stop talking about DCC wages, with the squadโs Instagram comments peppered with calls to up the pay for their dancers and honour the women as athletes.
As well as detailing their time at training and on the team, the Netflix doco follows some of the cheerleaders in their everyday lives. Producers reveal that most of the women on the team have day jobs, with some even working full-time as nurses, orthodontists or florists in addition to DCC training.
Now, as season two hits screens, thereโs been an update in the financial standings of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, after it was revealed that the squad members would be receiving a raise.
In episode seven of season two, the team, who are classified as part-time employees, were told they were going to receive a 400 per cent pay increase.
โWe pushed and we got back good results,โ fifth-year veteran Armani Latimer says in season two. โI get emotional knowing that I was a part of that. I love the fact that I made change for the girls that are coming up behind me, even if Iโm not getting a chance to benefit.โ
The news is a welcome update for the industry, which is notoriously meagre in its willingness to provide competitive remuneration opportunities for its members.

How Much Do Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Get Paid?
While there have been reports that Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders earn a salary of up to $112,000 (US$75,000) per year, this didnโt exactly stack up, given comments made in the first season of the series.
In season one, DCC alum Kat compares her salary to that of โa Chick-fil-A worker who works full time.โ
At the time, NBC Sports Boston reported that the average pay for an NFL cheerleader was around $225 (US$150) per game, but that DCC pays more because of its icon status.
Per Sports Illustrated, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were reportedly paid around $750 (US$500) per game. This equals around $15,000 (US$10,000) for an entire 18-week season. Per DCCโs website, the cheerleaders are also paid for rehearsals, promo appearances and shows. The exact amount they earn from that is not specified.

It is worth noting that in 2018, former Dallas cheerleader Erica Wilkins sued the organisation and alleged she was paid only $12 (US$8) per hour for practices, which is just above minimum wage. She also claimed that she was paid less than Rowdy, the teamโs mascot. Wilkins told the New York Post at the time that, while she understood how covetable the role was, โat the end of the day, prestige doesnโt pay my rent. I canโt walk down to my leasing office and hand them my uniform for the month.โ
DCC pay was even more dire in the past, though. Archive footage in Americaโs Sweethearts highlights that cheerleaders were once paid as little as $22 (US$15) per game.
โI think my game-day fee was $35, and we basically donated that back,โ Tina Kalina, who was on the squad in 1989, says in the series. โThese millennials, X-Genโwhatever theyโre calledโthey do look at it as a job, where as us old-timers look at it as more of a privilege.โ
Charlotte Jones, the Dallas Cowboys chief brand officer (and daughter of owner, Jerry Jones) echoes the sentiment. She tells the camera, โThereโs a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleadersโas it should be. Theyโre not paid a lot. But the facts are, they actually donโt come here for the money. They come here for something thatโs actually bigger than that to them.โ

Greg Whiteley, who directed and executive produced the Netflix docuseries, told Glamour in 2024, โDallas Cowboys cheerleaders are on the highest end of that [NFL cheer] pay scale. Iโve heard horror stories of what a typical NFL cheerleader [makes], but I think the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders fall into a new category. None of them are rich. None of them are getting paid a ton, but it isnโt the same dearth of payment that I think other NFL cheerleaders have to experience.โ
In contrast, in 2023, rookie Eric Scott Jr., the sixth-round pick in the NFL draft, signed with the team on a year four-year contract for a reported US$4.1 million. The Cowboysโ quarterback, Dak Prescott, reportedly earns a salary of around US$40 million.
Related articles:
- Your Guide To Season Two Of The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Docuseries
- Scandals That Rocked The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
- Where Are The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Now?