Cheerleaders help to keep fans invested in games while also trying to hype up the crowd to support the players. The most recognizable cheerleaders in sports are undoubtedly those for the Dallas Cowboys.
There have been several documentaries and TV shows about the Cowboys cheerleaders. They have developed past cheerleaders and into their own attraction and spectacle. Dallas’ cheerleaders are the epitome of the cheerleading world, with an entire show dedicated to hopeful cheerleaders going through tryouts with the hopes of making the team.
While it may appear to be a life of glitz and glamour 24/7 for the Cowboys cheerleaders, one of the main points from the shows and documentaries was the relatively low pay the cheerleaders received. An official salary wasn’t made available, but many of the cheerleaders worked second jobs in the offseason to complement their income. One of the waning moments of ‘America’s Sweethearts’ had the cheerleaders talking about a gigantic raise they had gotten.
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Here is more on how much the Cowboys cheerleaders make.
How much do Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make?
There is a discrepancy with how much the cheerleaders make, depending on the data you include.
According to Time, the Cowboys cheerleaders were making $75,000 a year in 2022, but per NBC Sports Boston, NFL cheerleaders made $22,500. That may have been the standard rate for cheerleaders, though, and not members of Dallas’ squad, although it’s tough to see how that difference would be over $50,000.
We don’t know the specifics of how much the Cowboys cheerleaders used to make, and we don’t know the specifics of what they are now making with a 400% raise coming ahead of the 2025-2026 season.
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Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders salary details
A Cowboys cheerleader named Erica Wilkins sued the franchise in 2019 for unfair pay. She said that cheerleaders were getting $7 an hour with a flat rate of $200 per game. All told, with no overtime pay, cheerleaders were apparently making less than the mascot. Jada McLean, a current cheerleader, said that “compensation varies based on experience,” and her fifth year with the squad saw her take home $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance.
The New York Times did a story on the cheerleaders’ salary and reached out to Dallas for a comment. The franchise chose not to confirm any new amounts that the cheerleaders are making. McLean told the New York Times that the long-time cheerleaders could be making more than $75 an hour, that there is a new structure for pay for game days and appearances, and that the new deal still doesn’t include health insurance.
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NFL cheerleaders were reportedly making around $150 per game in 2022, along with hourly wages. This added up to around $22,500 for the year, well short of the $53,000 made by waterboys and even below mascots, who were taking home $25,000.
Wilkins and the rest of the Cowboys cheerleaders were campaigning for higher wages across the board for NFL cheerleaders. Per Time, even though the Cowboys are valued at $10 billion, a four-year veteran cheerleader works four jobs during the season.
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How to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader
Auditioning for the Cowboys cheerleading squad is a multi-step process. Applicants must submit an application, have a preliminary audition, semi-final audition, personal interview, conduct a written test, and final talent auditions.
Then, those chosen from the final stage are put through Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) training camp to ensure that they make the squad.
History of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders
The first iteration of the Cowboys cheerleaders began in 1961. For four years, the first cheerleader director, Dee Brock, used high school students in the local area and traditional cheers for the squad. It wasn’t until 1965 that dance routines were implemented. Dallas had a new franchise opening in the early 1970s, and team president Tex Schramm wanted a “more polished team of entertainers.”
Kelli Finglass and Judy Trammell took over in 1991 and have been credited with the consistency and high performance standards that we still see nearly 35 years later.
This led to a new “star-spangled outfit” similar to the one the cheerleading squad wears today. The outfit was enshrined in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History as a pop culture symbol in 2018.
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