How Much Are the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Making After Their Raise?

Season 3 of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders premieres today, and fans have one question above all others: How much are the cheerleaders making now that they’ve finally received a massive pay raise? After Season 2 revealed the squad had secured a stunning 400 percent increase in compensation, viewers have been eager to find out what that actually means for the women who made the team. Now that the new season has arrived, we’re breaking down how much Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are earning, what changed and why the raise became one of the biggest storylines in the series. Keep reading for all the details.

What to know about the new Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders salary

In Season 1 of America’s Sweethearts, current and former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders pulled back the curtain on just how little they were earning despite being part of one of the most recognizable brands in professional sports. Kat Puryear, who cheered from 2019 to 2022, said that she made about the same amount as “a Chick-fil-A worker who works full-time”—a comparison that quickly sparked outrage among viewers.

As the conversation gained traction, other former cheerleaders took to social media to share their own experiences. Kristin Westbrook, who was also on the squad from 2019 to 2022, explained that cheerleaders earned “$15/hour” for practices and received a flat fee for appearances. According to Westbrook, rookies were paid $100 per appearance, with that amount increasing by $100 for each additional year on the team.

The revelations fueled a wave of criticism online, with many fans arguing that the women deserved significantly better compensation for the time, effort and visibility the role demanded. By Season 2, that frustration had turned into action. Veteran cheerleaders Jada McLean, Megan McElaney and Amanda Howard emerged as leaders in the push for higher pay, joining forces to advocate for a long-overdue raise on behalf of the entire squad.

“It’s a tough topic to start to have conversations [about],” McLean told our sister site US Weekly in 2025. “We were pretty serious, as leaders, this was something that we really wanted to see a change happen.”

“It was the beginning of the season and we also had a great group of rookies who just wanted to cheer. So it was [hard] navigating how we wanted to have this positive change without affecting people who just worked so hard,” she continued. “But [the rookies] understood we were looking out for them and their futures as cheerleaders as well as the women that come after us.”

In the end, the girls negotiated a 400 percent raise, and while the exact amount each girl makes remains a mystery, McLean told US Weekly that the raise went to increased fee appearances and game day fees.

“I can’t go into too much detail, but I will say there’s an increase all around when it comes to hourly and appearance fees and just everything as a whole,” the former cheerleader said, “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.”

How did Kelli Finglass and Judy Trammell respond to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders salary increase?

Throughout Seasons 1 and 2 of the show, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders director Kelli Finglass and head choreographer Judy Trammell could be seen explaining that they think the perks, partnerships and environment of the team made up for the lack of pay. They also said that the fact that the girls had other jobs is what made them so impressive. For that reason, many of them were curious how the two leaders responded to the increase. At the end of the day, it seems like they were happy, as it ultimately made the squad better.

“My goal was to keep the team’s momentum forward moving, and that’s exactly what we did,” Finglass told Us Weekly. “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.”

Seasons 1 through 3 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are available to stream on Netflix.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 12:26 PM.