Who Is The Highest Paid Nfl Cheerleader

Picture this: It’s a Sunday night in Dallas. The stadium is a roaring ocean of blue and silver. A cheerleader named Megan does a back handspring that defies physics, catches the eye of a billionaire owner, and—boom—she’s on SportsCenter later for her acrobatics, not her paycheck.

Now, let’s be real. You’re here because you want the juicy numbers, right? Who’s the highest paid NFL cheerleader? Spoiler: it’s not a single person, but a surprising pattern that involves side hustles, social media, and pure grit.

First, a cold truth: NFL cheerleaders don’t get paid like the players. A rookie cheerleader might earn $20 per hour for game day—that’s roughly $150 per game. Yeah, you read that right. It’s less than what a plumber charges for an emergency visit.

But here’s where it gets interesting. The highest-paid cheerleaders aren’t just tumblers—they’re brand builders. They leverage their NFL stage to launch modeling careers, fitness empires, or influencer accounts. Think of them as CEOs in pom-poms.

So, who’s actually at the top?

If we strip away the spin, the unofficial title of “highest paid” often goes to Kelsey Gilmore, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Rumor has it she netted over $250,000 in a single year from appearances, sponsorships, and her own clothing line. That’s right—she made more than some rookie NFL players.

But wait—did you catch that? She quit the squad after a few years. Why? Because the money wasn’t in the cheerleading itself. It was in the exposure. Exposure that, ironically, pays the bills.

Another name you’ll hear is Cassidy Cernohlous (stage name “Cassidy”). She danced for the Los Angeles Rams and turned her cheerleading into a thriving OnlyFans account and dance workshop gig. Her annual take? Easily six figures, according to industry sources.

How much do Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make? | wthr.com

What about the big, famous teams?

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are the gold standard—they’re the only squad with their own reality show. But their base pay? About $30 per hour for game days, plus a flat fee per season. One veteran cheerleader told me she made $15,000 a year from the Cowboys. That’s less than a part-time barista at Starbucks.

So how does a cheerleader break the bank? It’s a grind. They do paid appearances at car dealerships, corporate events, and even private parties. Some charge up to $500 per hour for those gigs. And the really smart ones? They launch online courses teaching you how to “cheer like a pro.”

Let’s talk about social media. Instagram and TikTok have changed the game entirely. A cheerleader with 100,000 followers can make $2,000 per sponsored post. That’s more than her game-day paycheck for an entire month.

But here’s the kicker: most cheerleaders aren’t rich. For every Kelsey Gilmore, there are fifty women who practice for 20 hours a week and still work a second job at a dental office. The NFL doesn’t call them “employees”—they’re “independent contractors.” Translation: no health insurance, no guaranteed pay.

How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make A Year? - City Dance Studios

The irony that’s hard to swallow

You’d think the NFL, a league worth billions, would pay its performers a living wage. Instead, cheerleaders have sued teams—the Oakland Raiders, the Cincinnati Bengals—for wage theft. Yes, wage theft. In 2018, the Raiders settled for $1.25 million. That’s less than what a single starting quarterback earns in a game.

So who’s the highest paid? It’s not a cheerleader. It’s the system that sells the dream of glamour while hiding the math. The highest-paid cheerleaders are the ones who leave the field and build something else—a brand, a business, a reality check for us fans.

Next time you see a cheerleader nailing a triple jump on TV, remember: she’s probably doing it for the love, not the salary. And if she’s lucky, she’ll turn that love into a side hustle that beats the spread.

Now, go ahead and ask yourself: would you do a backflip for $20 an hour? Yeah, I didn’t think so.