Finance

How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make? Is It A Good Earning Source?

By Soumava Goswami

April 28, 2023

how much do nfl cheerleaders make

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How much do NFL cheerleaders make? – The salary of an NFL cheerleader varies from season to season and game to game. However, the average salary of an NFL cheerleader is $150 per game day. For a single public appearance, NFL cheerleaders get $50 to $75. However, as per different media sources, an NFL cheerleader earns an average salary of $22,500 annually.

In this article, you will know about how much money do NFL Cheerleaders make and how much do NFL Cheerleaders make a year. Furthermore, your will also know whether cheerleading is a good earning source or not. We will also provide you with details about how much do NFL Cheerleaders make per game. Hence, to get full information about how much do NFL Cheerleaders get paid, read on through to the end of this article.

Do NFL Cheerleaders Get Paid?

Do NFL Cheerleaders Get Paid?
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Of course, NFL Cheerleaders get paid. However, as per many media sources, there are many complaints about lack of payments in some cases, and also, in many cases, there are complaints of low salaries. According to NBCSports, “Sometimes cheerleading requires arriving at games five hours prior to prepare for their performance or spending 30-40 hours a week in practice, and yet, they are paid significantly less than anyone else involved at the stadium.”

However, in some cases, the payments are good enough, and that is why many people, especially apply for cheerleading for famous teams in the NFL. But the reality is that in many cases, cheerleaders’ wage is very low, despite the fact that they spend a lot of time in the stadiums and in buses. In 2021, many NFL Cheerleaders filed lawsuits and took a stand for the cause and against the minimum wage.

NFL Cheerleader Salary – How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make?

NFL Cheerleader Salary - How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make?
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Hence, you might be thinking now, “How much do cheerleaders make currently?” – You will be surprised to know that, on average, NFL cheerleaders make only $150. Based on their experience and roles, the salary of a cheerleader can be higher or lower than the average. If you calculate this amount for the whole year, it comes out to be $22,500.

Furthermore, in case of public appearance, NFL cheerleaders make between $50 to $75. Hence, the more you get on camera, the more there is a chance for you to get paid. If you are one of the main cheerleaders, you can make up to $75,000 per year, while if you are a supporting cheerleader, you can make up to $20,000 per year. The per-hour salary of a professional cheerleader is around $15- $20.

According to Sun.com, “They also pick up $500 in match fees, of which there are usually nine or ten, including the preseason. But supporting cheerleaders are paid around $9 an hour. And their match fees are half that of the professionals. The salary has increased in recent years after complaints they were too low.”

Job Of An NFL Cheerleader

Job Of An NFL Cheerleader
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The NFL is one of the biggest sports franchises, if not the biggest one. It earns billions of dollars every year. In contrast, the earnings of NFL Cheerleaders are not much, given their contribution to the game and helping cheer the fans up. However, in addition to just cheerleading, NFL Cheerleaders also perform a variety of jobs. The following is a list of the top responsibilities of NFL Cheerleaders:

  • Volunteering at charity events, schools, and hospitals, as well as fundraisers.
  • Promotion of NFL franchises and brands on various social media platforms.
  • Practicing and choreographing with cheerleading teams and performing cheerleading stunts.
  • Helping with the sale of game tickets on various social media platforms.
  • Pose with players and fans on various occasions.
  • Maintain full fitness on every game day, and maintain that throughout the year.
  • Support the team in special events and in meetings.
  • Accompany the players wherever they go as a team to represent the franchise.

Why Do NFL Cheerleaders Earn So Less?

Why Do NFL Cheerleaders Earn So Less
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According to NBCSports, “Technically the reason for this is because cheerleaders for the NFL, and the NBA for that matter, are independent contractors. This means the teams are not necessarily required to pay the cheerleaders salaries in line with state and federal minimum wages.”

Hence, you can see that most teams do not necessarily require to pay the cheerleaders as per the minimum wage policy set by the US Government. Hence, there have been many cases where many NFL Cheerleaders earned as low as $5 per hour. Many NFL Cheerleaders, thus, filed a lawsuit in 2021 to increase the payment.

After the lawsuit, it was found that out of 26 teams in the NFL, ten teams were involved in creating wage theft and not giving safe working conditions for those NFL Cheerleaders. In some cases, there are complaints of sexual harassment, as well as discrimination. This, in turn, leads to controversies relating to the exploitation of women in sports. Hence, now NFL Cheerleaders get a bit more payment than before.

Comparison Of NFL Cheerleaders’ And NFL Players’ Salaries

Comparison Of NFL Cheerleaders’ And NFL Players’ Salaries
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Some might say now that people mostly come to the stadium to see the players, and watching NFL Cheerleaders are secondary. But, in such cases, we forget the important work done by NFL Cheerleaders. Cheerleaders help in cheering the fans and do many more jobs, as explained in the section before. They basically complement the players’ performance on the pitch.

According to NBCSports, “On average, an NFL player makes about $2 million per season.” While, we have seen that the average yearly salary of an NFL Cheerleader is $25,000. So, it is eighty times less. This is a huge gap.

Summing Up

How much do NFL cheerleaders make? – You can see that the average salary of NFL Cheerleaders is $25,000. This was even lower before 2021. On every game day, an NFL Cheerleader earns $150 on average. Given the number of jobs that an NFL Cheerleader is involved in, the amount is actually less. However, as an NFL Cheerleader moves up the rank, she earns up to $75,000. Do you think that NFL Cheerleaders’ salaries must be increased? State your reasons in the comments section below.

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Soumava Goswami

A passionate writer and an avid reader, Soumava is academically inclined and loves writing on topics requiring deep research. Having 3+ years of experience, Soumava also loves writing blogs in other domains, including digital marketing, business, technology, travel, and sports.

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