Why the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are getting a Texas-sized raise

Grab your pom poms and get ready to make some noise! The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are getting a massive pay raise following salary criticism after it was discovered the teams waterboys make double the cheerleaders.

In fact, the Cowboys cheerleader’s salaries have been almost quadrupled heading into the 2025-26 NFL season.

Season 2 of ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ premiered this past week on Netflix, and it was revealed that the squad will be receiving an almost 400% pay raise heading into the 2025 NFL season, according to The New York Times.

Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, Jada McLean told the Times it was a ‘drastic change’ and how it can help team members feel more financially secure.

In 2024, her fifth season on the team, McLean claims she made $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance, explaining how compensation is varied based on your experience. With this new pay bump, the veterans on the cheering squad can now be making more than $75 per hour.

In 2022, NFL cheerleaders typically earn around $150 per game, making their yearly salary around $22,500. It was reported by the NFL that waterboys made about $53,00 per year and mascots earn $25,000 per year.

As we all saw in season one of ‘America’s Sweethearts,’ a lot of the cheerleaders have second or third jobs in order to make ends meet, which shocked producers of the show when they were filming the inaugural season.

Can’t wait to see what these girls do on the field this Football season!