How much do cheerleaders get paid in the playoffs?
The NFL is one of the biggest money making machine in the United States, but many would be surprised to see the salary teams' cheerleaders are earning.
The glitzy, glamorous lives of cheerleaders in one of the biggest money making sports leagues in the world may come with it’s perks, but for many of the NFL cheerleaders pay is certainly not one of those perks.
Raiders cheerleaders' lawsuit changed things in 2014
Wages were so bad up until recently that some pom-pomed beauties on the sidelines were not even scratching the surface of minimum wage. That changed when the Oakland Raiders cheerleaders filled a law suit against the team in 2014, raising awareness of the little amount that cheerleaders are compensated throughout the season. They were eventually awarded $1.25 million after winning the lawsuit.
Many cheerleaders have other jobs outside of performing on the sidelines on Sundays. Most cheerleaders have to have other jobs, because they would not make a living salary if they depended on what NFL franchises pay them. Mind you, it’s not just Sunday’s that cheerleaders on the clock. There are also choreography practice, public appearances, and costly daily or weekly maintenance practices such as manicures, pedicures and gym memberships.
Reports seem to vary on the amount each cheerleader receives. Apparently some cheerleaders who have been in the league for a number of years and are considered professional cheerleaders get more hourly and their match fees are higher. They are said to make $500 per match and $15-20 per hour, but when you take into account their are only eight or nine home games in the regular season that is pennies to the dollar of what the guys on the field, or even the waterboys are making.
Supporting cheerleaders make a fraction of the professionals
There are also supporting cheerleaders, who either haven’t been in the league as long or don’t have the background that the professional cheerleaders do. They are paid $9 hourly, and get $250 for each game.
A former cheerleader told Cosmopolitan magazine that she made a total of $3,000 dollars for an entire season of work.
Not much information has been disclosed about cheerleaders game checks if the team gets to the Super Bowl. AS English has reached out to a couple NFL teams to see if the pay increases or stays the same for their side line animators during the postseason.
Not only are the wages way under the average of just about everyone around the league, but some teams actually charge anywhere from $35-$75 for a chance to audition to make an NFL teams cheerleading squad.