# NFL Cheerleader salaries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969 "2005-12-16T20:23:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/1 "2005-12-16T20:23:41Z")
A couple of weeks ago I was reading an article in a local paper (I’m in San Jose, CA) about tryouts for the San Jose Saberkittens, the dance/cheerleader squad for the local arena football team, the Sabercats. The article mentioned that the Kittens don’t get paid very much–about $30-40 per game, but the thing that struck me was that the sentence went on to say, “–about the same as what NFL cheerleaders make.” Is this a typo? NFL cheerleaders only make $30-40 per _game_? If so, that’s utterly absurd. Sure, they shouldn’t make as much as the players, but I’d think that it would be hard to find even attention junkie women who’d be willing to do all that traveling and performing for such a paltry sum. So, was it a typo, was the author of the article smoking crack, or is it true? ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/2 "2005-12-16T21:10:40Z")
No cites or anything, but I do remember reading the Oakland Raiderettes make only$25/game. This was a couple years ago, so sounds about right. I think it has something to do with supply/demand, as well as, WAG, most of these girls are hoping for careers as models or dancers and just adding to the resume. Also, from what I understand, they get paid per appearance as well (like at the local bar or something). ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/3 "2005-12-16T21:14:59Z")
That sounds about right to me. They aren’t salaried employees. They have other jobs. This is just a fun side job that allows them to be in front of a crowd and make a little extra cash from personal appearances. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/4 "2005-12-16T21:17:13Z")
I also thought that cheerleaders generally didn’t travel with the team on road games. So that’s about $40 a game 8 times a year. How do you like that $320 a year salary? Like **winterhawk11** said, I’m sure they do other things as well. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/5 "2005-12-16T21:21:03Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > No cites or anything, but I do remember reading the Oakland Raiderettes make only$25/game. This was a couple years ago, so sounds about right. I think it has something to do with supply/demand, as well as, WAG, most of these girls are hoping for careers as models or dancers and just adding to the resume. Also, from what I understand, they get paid per appearance as well (like at the local bar or something). Yes, at least this last part is apparently correct (don’t know about the rest, obviously)–the same article I read also stated that the Saberkittens made $90 for each corporate appearance they attended. If it’s just a side job (even for the NFL cheerleaders) then I guess it makes sense. I assume they don’t have to pay for their uniforms and incidentals out of their salary, correct? I guess I was thinking more of a group like the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who seemed to be fairly ubiquitous a few years back and almost seemed at times to be more famous than the team they were supporting. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/6 "2005-12-16T21:41:59Z")
High points from [this page](http://www.dallascowboys.com/cheerleaders/auditions_rules.cfm) on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders website:[ul][_] Cheerleaders participate in home games, home playoffs, American Bowls, and the Super Bowl.[_]If you are selected, you must relocate to the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.[_] Basic Uniform is provided (consisting of boots, shorts, blouse, vest, pom-pons, warm-ups, rainwear, traveling outfits, jackets and show group costumes.)[_] Cheerleaders are paid $50.00 per home game.[_]There is no pay schedule for rehearsals[_]Opportunities for paid appearances and shows are available![/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/7 "2005-12-16T21:46:07Z")
Lets not forget all the dating and networking [opportunities](http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2216124). ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/8 "2005-12-16T23:15:18Z")
> [@AndyPolley](#): > > Like **winterhawk11** said, I’m sure they do other things as well. They do, yes. We had three Chiefs cheerleaders working as teachers at my previous job when I first started. By the time I had left, we had two current cheerleaders in the district and two ex-cheerleaders. One was a math teacher; the remaining three taught English. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/9 "2005-12-17T01:49:24Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > They do, yes. We had three Chiefs cheerleaders working as teachers at my previous job when I first started. By the time I had left, we had two current cheerleaders in the district and two ex-cheerleaders. One was a math teacher; the remaining three taught English. Also the Chiefs Cheerleaders do lots of fundraising and charitable things like going to Children’s Mercy Hospital, schools, etc. I would think these types of things would look good on a resume or a Miss America/Miss USA application. So I think more than anything the NFL Cheerleader gig seems to be less for the money and more for the (ahem) exposure. 😃 Oh yeah…GO CHIEFS!!! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/10 "2005-12-17T02:36:21Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Lets not forget all the dating and networking [opportunities](http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2216124). Well, at $50 an appearance, the clubs certainly can’t complain if they attract the sort of women who have lesbian sex in public restrooms. You get what you pay for. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/11 "2005-12-17T03:08:18Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > Well, at $50 an appearance, the clubs certainly can’t complain if they attract the sort of women who have lesbian sex in public restrooms. You get what you pay for. Two cheerleaders, lesbian sex, bathroom. Only $50? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/12 "2005-12-17T03:20:10Z")
What ever happened to **XJETGIRL**? I wonder if they get a cut of the calanders and things like that? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/13 "2005-12-17T03:22:26Z")
So cheerleaders do what they love - cheerleading. They do it for $50 a game. The Football players are doing what they love - playing football. They get a million dollars a year. Those cheerleaders need a union. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/14 "2005-12-17T09:46:18Z")
The main problem is that cheerleaders are a sideshow. There’s no great demand for them. They’re not important to the team’s success. Hence, there’s never been any great movement for more equitable pay, and if a prospect isn’t willing to work for chump change, the team’s going to find someone that is. Heck, _officials_ are absolutely vital, and none of them are pulling in a living wage on NFL work alone. It’s just the nature of the beast. They know what they’re getting into. Footnote…I have the utmost pity for every non-insane of the Panthers cheerleading squad, and countless future members, who are probably never going to hear the end of it. Sheesh, talk about not getting paid enough for this… ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/15 "2005-12-17T15:59:55Z")
[QUOTE=DKW] Heck, _officials_ are absolutely vital, and none of them are pulling in a living wage on NFL work alone. [QUOTE] Officials make more than $50 a week for certain, but they do have other jobs. Byron Boston, David Boston’s father, is an accountant. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-cheerleader-salaries/335969/16 "2005-12-18T03:30:33Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > They do, yes. We had three Chiefs cheerleaders working as teachers at my previous job when I first started. By the time I had left, we had two current cheerleaders in the district and two ex-cheerleaders. One was a math teacher; the remaining three taught English. …and that school district had the lowest male drop out rate in the entire U.S.A.