How much do cheerleaders make in the NBA? We look at their average salaries and work life

Cheerleaders have always been an integral part of the product that is NBA, providing an alternate form of entertainment during basketball games. They have been a part of the NBA community for some time now, and in this article, we take a look at their average salaries and how their work life looks.

What is the average salary of an NBA cheerleader?

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As per an ESPN report, an NBA cheerleader makes $75 to $150 per game on average. It seems like a lot from the outside, but there has been a huge uproar about cheerleaders being employed on low salaries in the last few years. The Covid-19 pandemic also affected their ability to work, and it is safe to assume that the NBA cheerleaders are severely underpaid.

There are no health benefits or insurance attached to their salaries, which is another issue that has been cited quite often. They practice up to eight hours a day, although sometimes its also as less as three hours per day. They have strict dancing routines, and it is a result of rigorous practices that they are able to deliver so well on game days.

An instance of cheerleaders being severely underpaid came to light when a cheerleader named Lauren Herington sued the Milwaukee Bucks. She said that the team failed to comply with the U.S. Labor Act and that the team ended up settling the lawsuit out of court.

Herington was reportedly paid $30 for each practice session, $65 for each game that she was a part of, and only $50 for appearances. She also didn't get travel benefits, which is usually not the case in the NBA. Herington's case is one of the more publicized ones, which ended up with her getting fair compensation for her work. However, some other cheerleaders are not so lucky, and end up settling for meager wages.

Most of the cheerleaders are aspiring models or actresses, and take up a cheerleading job to make ends meet and stay in shape. Some of them also pursue it as a full-time job, and that is why the NBA should address the issue of cheerleaders getting sub-optimal salaries soon.

The NBA season starts in about a month, and the cheerleaders will again take the floor during breaks to keep the fans entertained. They work tirelessly to make the NBA a better product, and it is only fair that the league keeps their end of the bargain.