Breaking Down How Much the Dallas Cowboys Players Make vs Cheerleaders

How Much Dallas Cowboys Players Are Paid vs Cheerleaders

Your favorite football stars are scoring touchdowns on the field and at the negotiating table.

While the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ earnings rose roughly 400 percent to $75 per hour ahead of the 2025 NFL season, according to The New York Times, the new figure is still a fraction of what other key players in the franchise make annually.

The person taking home the biggest paycheck is Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott, who signed a four-year contract extension valued at $240 million with the team in September. And while the deal made him the highest paid player in the league, the football star didn’t want to focus on money.

“I hope after today we’re done talking about it and my pockets,” the 31-year-old said at the time to DallasCowboys.com, “and could just move forward and focus on this team and the success that we plan to have and what we’re working toward.”

Meanwhile, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb signed his own four-year deal with the team in August, valued at $136 million or roughly $34 million annually. Even after the deal was restructured in March—resulting in a $20 million savings for the team in 2025, per the Cowboys’ website—the 26-year-old’s salary remains significantly higher than that of the team’s cheer squad.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Salary Jumps 400 Percent

Nonetheless, the pay bump marks a significant increase in earnings for the cheerleaders. After all, Jada McLean—who was vocal about the need for change on the Netflix series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders—told the NYT earlier this month that she made just $15 per hour and $500 per appearance in 2024, with compensation dependent upon experience.

As a result, Jada and many of her fellow cheer veterans were hesitant to sign on for another season with the Cowboys, but the performers were evidently quite pleased with how their negotiations turned out.

“We pushed and we got back good results,” fifth-year dancer Armani Latimer said in an episode of the docuseries. “I get emotional knowing that I was a part of that. I love the fact that I made change for the girls that are coming up behind me, even if I’m not getting a chance to benefit.”