The Average Salary of NFL Cheerleaders

It is a common misconception that NFL cheerleaders are rich and glamorous and have affairs with NFL players. In fact, the women cheering on the sidelines at NFL games are practically working for free, and the locker room janitor has a better chance of dating a player because the cheerleaders are prohibited from fraternizing with the players.

  1. Per Game Basis

    • NFL cheerleaders are generally paid about $50 to $75 per game. Some cheerleaders are paid monthly salaries ranging from $200 to $1,000. These salaries are usually given to elite cheerleaders who have been with the same team for a while or have extensive cheerleading experience.

    Yearly Total

    • After two preseason games and eight regular-season games, most cheerleaders earn about $500 to $750 per season, depending on what teams they cheer for and whether that team plays any additional home games in the playoffs.

    Paid Appearances

    • If the cheerleading squad coordinator approves, an NFL cheerleader can make extra money by participating in paid public appearances. These are outside the usual non-paid public appearances that NFL cheerleaders must participate in throughout the year.

    Benefits

    • While the salary of an NFL cheerleader is nothing to live on, the elite experience of being an NFL cheerleader can lead to other jobs that pay much better. Cheerleaders can use the social network provided by being an NFL cheerleader and doing appearances, to find higher paying jobs outside of cheerleading.

    Fun Fact

    • A former San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleader, television star Teri Hatcher is now being paid $285,000 per episode for her role in "Desperate Housewives."