Breaking Down How Much the Dallas Cowboys Players Make vs Cheerleaders

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Your favorite football stars are scoring touchdowns on the field and at the negotiating table.

During the run-up to the 2025 NFL season, as reported by The New York Times, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders saw their earnings soar approximately 400% to an hourly rate of $75. However, this amount pales in comparison to what other significant figures within the franchise earn on an annual basis.

The individual earning the largest salary is none other than Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott, who secured a four-year contract extension worth an impressive $240 million with the team back in September. Despite this deal elevating him as the highest-paid player in the league, Prescott opted not to dwell on monetary matters.

The 31-year-old expressed his hope that after today, the discussion about it would be over and he could simply shift attention to this team, our future achievements, and the goals we are striving for. (DallasCowboys.com)

In August, CeeDee Lamb, the wide receiver, sealed a four-year contract with the team, worth approximately $34 million each year and totalling $136 million. Although the terms were adjusted in March, reducing the team’s financial burden by $20 million in 2025 according to the Cowboys’ website, Lamb’s salary remains substantially greater than that of the team’s cheerleading squad.

Despite everything, the pay hike represents a substantial enhancement to my earnings as a cheerleader. Frankly, it’s Jada McLean—the passionate advocate for change on the Netflix series “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders”—who shared with the New York Times earlier this month that she was earning a mere $15 an hour and $500 per appearance in 2024, with remuneration contingent upon experience.

Consequently, Jada, along with several other veteran cheerleaders, initially showed reluctance about participating in another season with the Cowboys. However, it appears that the performers were contented with the outcome of their discussions.

Armani Latimer, a fifth-year dancer, expressed in an episode of the docuseries that our efforts yielded positive outcomes. He admitted feeling moved knowing he was part of it all. What makes him happy is realizing he made a difference for future dancers, even if he doesn’t directly reap the benefits himself.

To see what more stars have said about their earnings, keep reading.

Jenna Johnson, winner of Dancing With the Stars season 33 alongside partner Joey Graziadei, revealed that even though there’s no cash reward for winning the mirrorball trophy, participants who reach the finale are compensated until then. She also mentioned that they receive a significant bonus.

If you emerge victorious in this competition, Johnson clarified, it’s important to understand that winning doesn’t translate to a million-dollar payday. Instead, you’ll receive a charming trophy as your prize. For dancers who don’t make it far into the ballroom, Johnson explained, they are ensured a certain number of weeks’ worth of compensation.

Reports suggest that dancer salaries begin at approximately $1,200 to $1,600 per episode, which can escalate to as much as $100,000 for an entire season (ABC has not verified these figures). In contrast, celebrities start with a salary of $125,000. As they advance through the competition, stars accumulate additional bonuses, with semifinalists and finalists potentially earning up to an extra $50,000.

Jennifer Lawrence, who won an Oscar, earned $25 million to appear in Adam McKay’s comedy about a disaster titled “Don’t Look Up”. In contrast, her co-star and fellow Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio, received $30 million for the same role.

In an interview with Vanity Fair for their December 2020/January 2021 issue, Lawrence stated, “Leo earns more at the box office than I do.” She added, “I’m very content with my contract. However, I’ve noticed, and I believe many women in the workforce have too, that it’s awkward to ask for equal pay. And if you do bring up something that seems unfair, you’re often told it’s not due to gender bias, but they can’t explain what else it could be.

Her optimistic demeanor was earned: The disclosure in 2014 of the salary disparity between Lawrence and her male co-stars in the 2013 film “American Hustle,” which emerged during the Sony email hack, sparked a broader discussion about the wage gap issue in Hollywood.

In an interview with Channel 4 News in 2017, Lawrence expressed gratitude for her job but mentioned she doesn’t struggle financially. Instead, she voiced frustration over injustice and income disparity, rather than being upset about the amount of money she received for a movie role.

In comparison to Leonardo DiCaprio’s salary, Jonah Hill earned approximately $60,000 (pre-commissions and taxes) for his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” from 2013, whereas the film’s main character, Jordan Belfort, received a whopping $10 million.

Hill stated on “The Howard Stern Show” in 2014 that they received the smallest amount of money feasible. However, it was an opportunity to be in a Martin Scorsese film, so the actor from “Moneyball” wanted to finalize the agreement before anyone could reconsider.

Hill stated, “I’d give up my house and all my savings to work with Scorsese,” he shared, who received his second Best Supporting Actor nomination for portraying a nervous, drug-addled stockbroker. “Money isn’t the goal here. You could do movies like ’22 Jump Street’ or others to cover your expenses. But I would have sacrificed anything to be part of it. I’d gladly do it all over again. This isn’t about earning; it’s about passion.

Oprah Winfrey happily accepted only a little bit of green to star in 1985’s The Color Purple.

In a conversation with Essence in 2023, the media tycoon shared that they were given $35,000 for a film role, which turned out to be the most valuable $35,000 they ever made. This experience transformed their life and taught them many lessons.

In the 1997 movie biography of Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, Jennifer Lopez made history as the first Latin actress to receive a million dollars for her role in a film.

In an interview with Variety back in 2019, Lopez shared that at the time of her breakout film, she was quite young and found herself confused by the situation. She added, “It was fantastic they offered me a million dollars. I feel like everyone was making a bold statement.

Her success opened up opportunities for her to earn hundreds of millions more, even when her involvement doesn’t require any financial investment.

Lopez shared with GQ in 2019 that he does things out of passion rather than money. He didn’t earn a large sum for Hustlers; instead, he did it for free and even produced it himself. In essence, he relies on his own abilities, much like how Jennifer Lopez sings “Jenny From the Block” – he does what he loves.

Adrien Brody didn’t star in “The Brutalist” for monetary reasons. Instead, he accepted the challenging part of a Hungarian architect struggling with his art in post-WWII America for $250,000, and eventually won his second Oscar for Best Actor.

Brody told Variety, “I urgently require a film studio production right now, as I’ve invested everything into the project I’m working on – a place that resembles a castle in an upstate New York barn.

Pete Davidson jokingly commented to New York magazine about his salary when asked before Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special, “Do you guys know what they pay me?” He shared that when he first joined the show at age 20 in 2014, he would joke about spending his earnings, saying, “It’s around three grand an episode, so I think I got dinner.

It’s noteworthy that the starting salaries for SNL beginners have consistently been comparable over the years. For instance, stars like John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase were reportedly paid $750 per episode in 1975. This amount translates to approximately $3,300 in 2014, as determined by the Consumer Price Index Inflation calculator (with $750 from 1975 being equivalent to around $4,428 in 2025).

In his 22nd season on SNL, Kenan Thompson now earns significantly more than $3,000 per episode. However, as a former Nickelodeon star, he once began from humble beginnings.

In Demi Lovato’s 2024 documentary “Child Star”, the All That alum recounted, “The first time I got paid for a commercial, it was $800. At age 12, that felt like a million dollars to me.

It turns out Gilmore Girls’ status as a beloved rewatchable classic is literally priceless.

Lauren Graham, who portrayed Lorelai Gilmore for seven seasons and later returned to the role in 2016’s “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life”, shared during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in March 2025 that there are no residuals from Netflix. However, she mentioned that she has been compensated in the form of love and appreciation instead.

Tommy Dorfman openly discussed her earnings from “13 Reasons Why” during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, an event instigated partly due to streaming platforms like Netflix not consistently providing extra remuneration to actors and crew when their shows achieve significant success.

In a post on Threads dated July 24th, Dorfman shared that her total earnings for the first season of ’13 Reasons Why’ were $29,953.24 before deducting agency and manager fees (which amounted to 20%), taxes, and other expenses. This was for eight episodes spanning a six-month period. She added that she did all the promotional work, had key artwork for the show, traveled round trip from New York City to San Francisco for each episode shoot, and spent extended periods without pay or insurance.

In the initial 28 days following its debut, the show’s first season amassed a staggering 476 million view hours. This is the reason behind our firm stance.

In an interview on his podcast, Dax Shepard casually mentioned to Lauren Graham, a co-star from their show “Parenthood,” that he was aware he ranked among the lowest paid actors during their six-season run on the NBC series.

But, the Armchair Expert host stressed that he did not mind.

He explained that before becoming a parent, he was curious about the salary of every job he held and went to great lengths to find out. He either had conversations with colleagues to learn their earnings or used intermediaries like agents for information.

He deliberately avoided finding information about his lineage related to Parenthood, which allowed him to savor the experience more, as even when he had a hint of his position within the hierarchy, it made no difference to him.

In 2005, when discussing the production of my film “Good Night, and Good Luck” with the Los Angeles Times, I shared that I personally financed the project. To make this happen, I had to cash an endorsed check for directing and relinquish my acting earnings. My colleague, co-writer, and producer, Grant Heslov, also did the same, earning a dollar in the process.

The heartfelt account of CBS News journalist Edward R. Murrow standing up to authority in the 1950s has proven enduring: Making his first appearance on Broadway, Clooney portrays Murrow in a stage adaptation of the film. Moreover, during its preview week before the official opening on April 3, the play set a Broadway record (for a nonmusical) by grossing $3.3 million, suggesting that Clooney is earning significantly more than $1 at this point.

As I recount my experience playing the enigmatic character of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000), let me clarify that I was compensated with the absolute minimal amount they were legally permitted to pay me. This wasn’t because of a lack of talent or demand, but rather due to the apprehension felt by many involved in the production, except for the visionary director Mary Harron who stood firmly behind my casting. I shared this anecdote with GQ in 2022, shedding light on the unusual journey that led me to portray one of cinema’s most captivating yet troubled characters.

According to Bale, his earnings were so minimal that he often found himself sitting in the makeup trailer, where the makeup artists would chuckle at him because he was being paid less than any of them.

Although his uncle might have been named Rico, it was revealed by Jon Heder in 2010 that initially, he was compensated with just $1,000 for the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

Following the unexpected success of his irreverent comedy, he managed to negotiate a share of the earnings, informing the New Zealand Herald, “The offer was slightly increased.

Djimon Hounsou openly expressed that he feels undervalued in the film industry, despite boasting an impressive resume with movies like “Amistad” and “Blood Diamond”.

In an interview with Larry Madowo for CNN in January 2025, the Beninese actor shared that he’s been involved in filmmaking for more than two decades. Despite having two Oscar nominations and appearances in major blockbuster movies, he’s still finding it hard to achieve financial stability.

In her 2024 memoir titled “Rebel Rising,” Rebel Wilson recounted that she received $3,500 for the film Bridesmaids, a sum which she had to use to join the Screen Actors Guild, effectively meaning she didn’t receive any personal compensation for her work.

Still, she wrote, the experience was “everything!”

The Australian actress saw her fame soar significantly, as her earnings for “Pitch Perfect” in 2012 started at the SAG minimum scale of $65,000 and reached $10 million for “Pitch Perfect 3” in 2017. According to Wilson, she earned a total of $20 million from “Pitch Perfect 3”, “Isn’t It Romantic”, and “The Hustle”. However, it’s important to note that a significant portion of this income went towards taxes, agency fees, legal expenses, and other professional commitments. Despite these deductions, she was left with an amount that Wilson considered a considerable fortune.

Towards the end of 2017, Ellen Pompeo successfully renegotiated her contract for the TV series Grey’s Anatomy, securing a salary of approximately $575,000 per episode. This agreement also included a substantial signing bonus in the seven-digit range and two shares of backend equity, which could potentially earn her an additional $6 million to $7 million.

In 2018, Pompeo told The Hollywood Reporter that she’s reached an age where she feels comfortable asking for what she rightfully deserves. She explained, “I’m not the most trendy actress around, given my long-standing role. People may think I’ve become less relevant because of it, but that’s just a perception from the industry due to my 14-year association with this character. However, being good in season one or two is common; staying good for 14 years is a real talent.

Recently pondering their past earnings, Ellen Pompeo stated that although she played ‘Grey’ on screen, she was never paid as much as her costar Patrick Dempsey. However, she emphasized that she held no resentment towards him for earning more money.

In a March 2025 episode of Call Her Daddy, she expressed, “Given that the show bears my name, I felt I deserved equal treatment. It was tougher to achieve this recognition. I wasn’t resentful about his success. Instead, I resented that they didn’t appreciate me as much as they appreciated him and never will.

Back in 1978 when Jamie Lee Curtis made her screen debut in the movie “Halloween”, she was earning a weekly wage of $2,000, which added up to a grand total of $8,000 for the entire project. In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes in 2018, she candidly stated that, “frankly, no one received any payment back then.

Even though the “scream queen” garnered four-figure earnings, John Carpenter’s friend Nick Castle felt like royalty earning just $25 per day to co-play the role of Michael Myers. (It was Anthony Moran whose face you glimpse briefly when the killer’s mask is removed for a chilling moment, and editor Tommy Lee Wallace also accrued screen time as Michael.)

Back then, participating in that project felt overwhelming for me! As a fellow student at USC with Carpenter, I shared my experiences with Vanity Fair in 2018. The appeal of the film for me was being on set, so I could better understand the world of filmmaking and direction. I assumed I’d be there without pay, just observing. But little did I know, I would earn $25 per day, and all I needed to do was wear a rubber mask!

Taraji P. Henson received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her role in 2008’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. Even after many years have passed, she still feels passionate about the $150,000 she was paid for the film, which was less than the $500,000 salary she initially proposed when producers declined her initial offer.

Regarding the main actors of the movie, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, Henson stated on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast in 2021 that “At that time, it wasn’t common to hear $20 million salaries anymore, but they were indeed being paid. And honestly, I don’t think it was unjustified; they deserved their pay.

However, she further explained, “I was also contributing a specific amount to the seat and at that point in my career, I believed what I was asking for was reasonable, given the box office potential of this major movie. I declined.” Henson expressed disappointment when they initially offered $100,000, which she later clarified. “Ultimately, I received $150,000, but I had to set my pride aside,” she said.

Henson explained, “People often say, ‘150,000 dollars, that’s a significant amount!’ But I don’t want anyone to perceive me as unappreciative because I’m not. However, when you consider taxes, Uncle Sam takes half, which leaves you with $75,000. Before Uncle Sam takes his share, I have to pay my team before taxes, which is about 30%. So after Uncle Sam takes his 50%, and another 30% goes to my team, I might only be left with around $40,000.

Cate Blanchett has earned a considerable sum throughout her career, not just from portraying the royal elf Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings series, even though that trilogy generated an impressive $2.9 billion at global box offices.

In response to Andy Cohen’s guess on “Watch What Happens Live” in August 2024 that she earned her largest income from The Lord of the Rings, she corrected him by saying, “I’m not joking! No one was paid for that film…All I really got were free sandwiches, and I get to keep my ears.

In contrast to what one might expect, Orlando Bloom, portraying the elven warrior Legolas, revealed on The Howard Stern Show in 2023 that he earned a total of only $175,000 across the entire trilogy.

Hopefully he also got to keep his ears.

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2025-06-26 00:21