How much do NFL cheerleaders earn? Do they even make the minimum wage?

Arjun Sukumaran | 09/02/2023

An NFL game is a complex process, involving the sweat and tears of a lot of people. However, most fans are only able to appreciate the efforts put in by the players, the centerpieces of attraction. One such unrecognized group of specialists on the field is the cheerleading squad. What’s more, bereft of our attention, they don’t fair wages for the amount of work they put in!

Cheerleading is no easy job. Practicing every week for 30-40 hours a day is by no means easy. Especially when it doesn’t pay enough. Before 2021, cheerleaders were barely paid minimum wages. That’s as much as what a teenager on a first job makes. Unsurprisingly, the cheerleaders decided to take matters into their own hands. What resulted was a flurry of lawsuits against a number of franchises.

Though there has been some improvement since those lawsuits were settled, things are still bad. The pay disparity among different cheerleading teams is huge. The average wage for an NFL cheerleader is around $22,500 per year. In contrast, the highest-paid cheerleading teams, The Dallas Cowboys (America’s Sweethearts) and the Carolina Panthers (Carolina TopCats) earn around $75,000 a year.

The single biggest reason for cheerleaders earning so little is because of their contractual status. Coming under the domain of independent contractors, the teams do not feel the obligation to pay them salaries that conform to set laws. Which ultimately ended with the 2021 lawsuits. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to shell out $825,000 to settle with their cheerleading team.

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How much do NFL cheerleaders earn in comparison to other stakeholders?

Comparing the wages of cheerleaders to the other personnel on the field shows us how undervalued these professionals are. While a cheerleader earns $22,500 yearly on average, an NFL player makes around $2 million. Although, there are many in their ranks who earn far more than the average. NFL coaches have their average at around $7 million a season, a bit higher compared to players.

One may argue that players and coaches are a different sort of asset than cheerleaders and their skills are the primary driving force of the league. That might be the case, but it still doesn’t explain why cheerleaders are not as vital as the waterboys or the mascots. A waterboy reportedly earns an average of $53,000 per year, while a mascot makes $25,000 a year.

It is obvious that the teams do not appreciate the value cheerleaders bring to a football game. This means the only way for these teams to understand the point is if the fanbase hammers it into their head. NFL teams cannot ignore the demands of their fans for too long, and a righteous cause such as this will become a PR nightmare for them. Will we see any fans take up the baton and fight for the cheerleaders?

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Post Edited By: Shubham Bhargav
America's Sweethearts Carolina Panthers Carolina TopCats Dallas Cowboys NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers

About the author

Arjun Sukumaran

Arjun Sukumaran is a writing consultant for NFL here at the SportsRush. A Mechanical Engineering graduate, his debating stints from his college days have become part and parcel of his life. He loves cheeseburgers, so naturally, he loves the Kansas City Chiefs. And you can definitely count him in the group of people claiming Patrick Mahomes to be the next big thing. When he is not wearing the Kansas Red and Gold, he can be spotted proudly sporting the Red and White of Manchester United, or the iconic Red Bull Blue.

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