While dancing for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is considered a prestigious honor in itself, it doesn’t come with a salary to match.
“I would say I’m making, like, a substitute teacher [salary],” Kat Puryear said during the first season of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. “I would say I’m making, like, [the same as a] Chick-fil-A worker [who] works full time.”
In order to make ends meet, many DCC stars supplement their incomes. Several of the girls have multiple jobs, whether it’s a corporate gig or working retail. Chandi Dayle even revealed in season 2 of the Netflix hit that she had four side hustles to make ends meet.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the DCC stars’ salaries — and what they’ve said about the staggering amounts:
Specific Numbers
Kristin Westbrook danced with the DCC from 2019 to 2022, making $15/hour for practice and then a $400 flat fee for each NFL game.
“Flat fee for appearances — $100 (x # of years on the team),” she wrote in a June 2025 Instagram Story post, noting a rookie would make $100, while a second-year veteran would earn $200 and so on.
Jada McLean further told The New York Times that she made $15/hour with a $500-per-game fee during the 2024-2025 season, her fifth with the DCC.
Extra Perks
Anna Kate on season 2 of ‘America’s Sweethearts.’ Netflix
According to Jada, the Cowboys consider the cheerleaders “part-time employees,” which is why they don’t receive full salaries or health insurance coverage. The dancers do get access to the team’s doctor and physical therapist and are encouraged to explore social media partnerships.
In season 2 of America’s Sweethearts, the women went to a “sponsorship day” event, where various businesses gave them free beauty products and treatments in exchange for online posts.
Cheerleaders Vs. Athletes
The football players, however, make more than just hourly wages and get insurance through the overall NFL organization.
“I know there’s a lot of controversy with how much we get paid and stuff like that. I’m grateful that we do get paid because, in some instances, some NFL programs do not get paid as much as we do. So, we are very grateful in that sense,” Reece Weaver said on the “Unplanned” podcast in 2024. “Like any other NFL cheerleader, you have to be able to have another income coming in [and] you have to have another job with it.”
She added, “Yes, you do see these football players and you’re, like, ‘Wow, you are making so much money,’ but at the end of this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and because it is so prestigious, not everyone can say they’re a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. That in itself is a chapter I’m always going to cherish.”
Reece further acknowledged that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott makes $160 million, which “could very well” be more than every NFL cheerleader does combined.
Lawsuit
Erica Wilkins sued the Cowboys in 2018 for unfair pay, claiming that she received around $7 per hour without any overtime plus a flat rate of $200 per game. While Erica claimed that she made less than the team mascot, Rowdy, the case was settled out of court in 2019 for an undisclosed sum.
Pay Increase
Jada on season 2 of ‘America’s Sweethearts.’ netflix
As seen on season 2 of the Netflix doc, Jada led the charge for higher pay along with teammates Megan McElaney and Amanda Howard, eventually securing a 400 percent pay increase at the end of the 2024-2025 NFL season.
“We were pretty serious, as leaders, this was something that we really wanted to see a change happen,” Jada exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2025. “It’s a very great change and I think the girls are gonna benefit a lot from it moving forward. … It’s gonna take a lot of the financial stresses out of their lives, which is something that we wanted to see.”
She added, “I’ve struggled financially on this team and that was something that I didn’t want anyone else to have to deal with while they’re cheerleaders. I think they’re in a good position moving forward.
Jada further told The Times that the new salary boost could see veteran cheerleaders earn $75 per hour. The Cowboys, however, have not disclosed the new amounts.
What Kelli Finglass Has Said
Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell. Netflix
Kelli is the longtime director of the DCC, but she wasn’t involved in the salary discussion.
“My goal was to keep the team’s momentum forward moving, and that’s exactly what we did,” Kelli told Us, referring to the cheerleaders’ rumored plans for a walkout if their demands weren’t met. “We stayed focused on the job at hand. We knew there were some discussions going on. We also know that every spring, we reevaluate as an organization — all things on all programs. We’re thrilled that the girls are happy with the enhancements that are made. We had a great season with the cheerleaders.”
