How much money do NFL Cheerleaders make?

In case you were ever curious as to how much NFL cheerleaders actually earn, it's very shocking, to say the least.

According to Kristen Conti of NBC Sports, NFL cheerleaders earn roughly $150 per game, which is way too low considering how much money NFL teams have.

"Surprisingly, NFL cheerleaders do not earn as much as you might think. On average, the cheerleaders earn about $150 per game. This comes out to about $22,500 per year."

- Kristen Conti

Conti also discusses how cheerleaders can earn more money based on other public appearances they do. If they play for a high-profile team, such as the Dallas Cowboys, they could make as much as $500 per game. That's still pretty low.

NFL cheerleaders don't make as much money as you might think.

According to the Expert Institution, a lawsuit by an Oakland Raiders cheerleader in 2014 jumpstarted several other lawsuits from NFL cheerleaders. These lawsuits came from cheerleaders from the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"That lawsuit kicked off a series of similar lawsuits by cheerleaders for NFL teams including the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2014, the Oakland Raiders began paying cheerleaders $9 an hour, California’s minimum wage at that time. The Buccaneers cheerleaders’ suit settled for a reported $825,000, while the Bengals reached a tentative settlement reported $255,000."

- Todd Hatcher, J.D.

Cheerleaders get paid so little because they aren't members of the organization, but independent contractors, according to Conti's post. It's sad and hopefully someday the cheerleaders get paid more.