Following the documentary, viewers have called upon the NFL, Cowboys cheerleaders director Kelli Finglass and executive vice president and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones to improve conditions and increase pay for the cheerleaders. But in addition to the revelations in America’s Sweethearts, fans have even more questions.
How much do Cowboys Cheerleaders make?
In America’s Sweethearts, former Cowboys cheerleader Kat Puryear revealed that during her time on the squad, she made “a substitute teacher [salary] ... like, Chick-fil-A worker that works full-time." After the premiere of the documentary, Puryear took to TikTok, saying, “It’s a full-time commitment, but part-time pay,” she said. “It’s a lot of work.” @katpur @Tyra Nicole @Chandi Dayle ♬ original sound - Katpurr
Lots of numbers were thrown around, but a Cowboys cheerleader anonymously reported to HuffPost that she made $12.50 per hour, and $400 separately per game. A 2022 report by NBC Boston noted that cheerleaders were paid $500 per game and $15–$20 per hour for practices.
Charlotte Jones, the daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, defended the low pay to The Dallas Morning News following the docuseries, saying, “There’s a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders, as there should be. They’re not paid a lot. But the facts are that they actually don’t come here for the money. They come here for something that’s actually bigger than that to them.”
How much do NFL Cheerleaders make in general?
The NBC Boston report notes that on average, NFL cheerleaders make about $150 per game, which comes out to about $22,500 per year. This indicates that the Cowboys cheerleaders are paid higher-than-average salary, provided they show up to all practices and their scheduled appearances. But in the docuseries, it's also noted that the cheerleaders aren’t compensated for the time it takes for hair, makeup and wardrobe.
NBC Boston also reports that the Carolina Topcats are paid $75,000 yearly.
Because NFL Cheerleaders are independent contractors, the NFL is not legally obligated to pay the cheerleaders salaries in line with state and federal minimum wages.
By 2021, 10 NFL teams had been sued for wage theft, unsafe working conditions, sexual harassment, and discrimination as a result of claims from NFL cheerleaders. Many of the lawsuits “flew under the radar” according to The Guardian, however, following a series of allegations by women employees of the Washington Commanders, Congress launched a House oversight committee investigation into repeated mistreatment.
In 2022, the committee confirmed that the NFL “mishandled pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct at the Washington Commanders.”
Will the docuseries prompt change?
When we first covered America’s Sweethearts, we reached out to representatives for Kelli Finglass and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, but they did not respond to our request for comment. However, as training is underway and NFL season approaching quickly, the treatment of the cheerleaders remains a hot topic.The document has prompted a few Change.org petitions, as well as discourse online surrounding reasonable pay for the cheerleaders.
