The NFL is a big money business. The league has a revenue of 18 billion dollars in the 2021/22 season and shares this with the players in approximately 50/50.
NFL players, coaches, and staff often take home incredible salaries, but what about cheerleaders?
The men and women who make up the NFL football team are a huge part of the sport, but are they paid anywhere near the players? Read on to find out.
What Is The Average NFL Cheerleader Salary?
Unfortunately, cheerleaders are underpaid compared to other jobs in the NFL. Read also : CHEER PHOTOS: Sunday’s Best of Rams Cheerleaders….
It goes without saying that come game time, cheerleaders will have big smiles on their faces. But that may not be true when they check their bank balance.
NFL cheerleaders make, on average, $22,500 per year, which is less than half of the average U.S. salary of $54,132 in 2022.
Some players earn more money. For example, America’s Sweethearts, cheerleaders for the Dallas Cowboys, are one of the most popular in the NFL and receive a reported salary of $75,000.
Still, the average number is shocking, especially when you compare it to the NFL’s water salary, which averages around $53,000.
Also, Cheerleaders pay does not reflect the work involved in being on an NFL cheer team.
The jobs can last 30+ hours per week, they spend countless hours traveling to games, and they have to be on the field five hours before their work time.
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Why Are Cheerleaders Paid So Badly?
Cheerleaders are not employees of NFL teams. This may interest you : A week of impact to remember for Eagles Autism Foundation. They are independent contractors and historically they have always been paid very little.
Some former NFL players have reported that they were paid well below minimum wage, and one even wrote in Cosmopolitan Magazine that in 2006 when expenses were considered, she only made $ 300 for the whole season.
This injustice eventually led to a cheerleader standing up. Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields was part of the cheerleading squad for the Oakland Raiders, the Raiderettes, but in 2014, she sued the team for violating labor laws.
In the end, Lacy and a former Raiders cheerleader won the case and were awarded $1.25 million.
The Raiderettes were also awarded new contracts that included more hours than minimum wage and overtime compensation.
This case was the subject of a 2019 documentary, Women’s Work: The Challenge of the NFL Cheerleader, and inspired other cheerleaders across the NFL to take their teams to court over unpaid wages.
All in all, this improved the situation for cheerleaders. They are now paid at least the minimum wage, although that is a pittance compared to other NFL salaries.
How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make At The Super Bowl?
Unlike the players and coaches, there is no evidence that NFL cheerleaders make huge bonuses for Super Bowl appearances or appearances. On the same subject : COMMUNITY IMAGES: Rams rookies serve LA community | Quentin Lake, Kyren Williams and more!.
After the successful Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields case in 2014, it was confirmed that the players of the Oakland Raiders will be paid for all their work “and are “entitled to overtime” – but this may be at best low wages per se. hour.
So, it’s rare that NFL cheerleaders take big checks to make the playoffs or the Super Bowl.
How Easy Is It To Become A Cheerleader In The NFL?
Being an NFL cheerleader is very competitive and hard to do, despite the low pay.
Before applying, you must be:
Once you have checked all these boxes, the real hard work begins.
Tryouts for NFL cheerleading squads consist of hundreds of players who are whittled down to groups of about 50-60 who make the final team.
Judges evaluate professional cheerleaders on their dance skills, acting skills, personality, and more.
Any cheerleader who makes it to the NFL level will also undoubtedly have high school or college experience.
So, like the players, it is not easy to make it in the pro ranks.
To Cheer Or Not To Cheer?
Despite the salaries of NFL cheerleaders being low in such a lucrative business, thousands of hopefuls try to make the teams every year.
Many people see it as an opportunity to continue their profile and credentials for the next job, and the honor and fame that comes with making the NFL cheer team is true.
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Lead photo: Rajiv Perera/Unsplash
