Sports mascots are symbolic figures that give the fans a reason to engage in a rally. They also represent the spirit of their teams, which usually hypes up the players to step up their game.[1]
So, how much do NFL mascots make? In general, NFL mascots make around $60,000 a year in the NFL. This figure is in accordance with Dave Raymond’s statement. Raymond operates Raymond Entertainment, a character branding and mascot training company that has created and worked on more than 100 mascots for the past 20 years. [2]
He also mentioned that mascots don’t get paid because they are liked and have a good relationship with their bosses. They get paid only when they are skilled, trained performers who deliver revenue.
Key Takeaways
- The average salary for an NFL mascot in 2022 is about $60,000 per year.
- The lowest-paid mascots in the NFL are paid no more than $50,000 a season, including the Seattle Seahawks’ Blitz and Carolina Panthers’ Sir Purr.
- The highest-paid mascots in the NFL can earn up to $65,000 per year.
NFL Mascot Earnings in 2022
No. | Mascots | Team | Earnings/hour | Earnings/season |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rowdy | Dallas Cowboys | $50 | $65,000 |
2 | Pat Patriot | New England Patriots | $50 | $65,000 |
3 | Sourdough Sam | San Francisco 49ers | $45 | $60,000 |
4 | Toro | Houston Texans | $45 | $60,000 |
5 | Staley Da Bear | Chicago Bears | $45 | $60,000 |
6 | Swoop | Philadelphia Eagles | $45 | $60,000 |
7 | Miles | Denver Broncos | $45 | $60,000 |
8 | Poe | Baltimore Ravens | $45 | $60,000 |
9 | Steely McBeam | Pittsburgh Steelers | $45 | $60,000 |
10 | Blue | Indianapolis Colts | $40 | $50,000 |
11 | Freddie Falcon | Atlanta Falcons | $40 | $50,000 |
12 | Blitz | Seattle Seahawks | $40 | $50,000 |
13 | Sir Purr | Carolina Panthers | $40 | $50,000 |
13 | Viktor | Minnesota Vikings | $40 | $50,000 |
NFL mascots often appear at football games to represent football teams, and they can receive hourly payments for such appearances. For multi-sport cities, the mascots also make appearances at other teams’ games.
To earn such a high earning per year, mascots may have to attend a lot of community outreach events and feature on social media content for teams’ merchandise advertisements.
Read more:
Highest-Paid NFL Mascots
The top 3 highest-paid mascot in the NFL is The Dallas Cowboys’ Rowdy, Pat Patriot, and San Francisco’s Sourdough Sam. As the highest-paid mascot, Dallas Cowboys’ Rowdy earns $65,000 per year. Meanwhile, Pat Patriot is the second highest-paid mascot in the league, now pocketing the same amount as Rowdy. Coming third on the list is San Francisco’s Sourdough Sam with a salary of $60,000 per season, and an hourly salary of $45.
Rowdy – Dallas Cowboys
Rowdy is the official mascot of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys. He was named by David Higginbotham of Dallas, TX. Rowdy has been the team’s mascot since 1996.

Pat Patriot – New England Patriots
Pat Patriot is the mascot of the New England Patriots – a National Football League (NFL) franchise from Foxborough, Massachusetts. The character was originally developed in the early 1990s and made his first public appearance at the 1995 Pro Bowl as a Team NFL Hero.

Sourdough Sam – San Francisco 49ers
Sourdough Sam is a mascot for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. He is also known by different nicknames as Sam, Sammy, Samster, Sammiester, and Samarama.

How to Become NFL Mascots?
It’s a given that when you are an NFL mascot, your every move will be watched by fans and you will be broadcasted on live television. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to become an NFL mascot:
1. Acquire Acrobatic, Cheerleader, Or Mascot Training
Attending training like these can help walk you through this position and will most certainly give you an idea of how it really is working as an NFL mascot.
2. Be Familiar With Football Rules
Being aware of the football rules can boost your application. This will also show your sincerity about this job as well as how passionate you are to be a sports mascot while making a living out of it at the same time.

3. Attend Pro Mascot School
Attending Pro Mascot School can not only help you gain experience but it can also help guide you to be the best at representing your team. As mentioned before, experience is key.
Final Words
It is greatly known that NFL mascots carry the energy and momentum of the crowd upon their costumed shoulders, and they can be handsomely compensated with five- or six-figure salaries because of this. Still, it all depends on their performance and the team’s success. What do you think about NFL mascots’ annual salary? Do you think they are getting just enough or too much? If you have any comments, let us know!
If you enjoyed reading this article, read about NFL drafts in this next post.
Resources:
1.”4 Reasons Why Mascots for Sports Are So Important | The ….” 19 Jun. 2019, https://thesportsdaily.com/2019/06/19/4-reasons-why-mascots-for-sports-are-so-important/. Accessed 21 Jun. 2020.
2. “Raymond Entertainment.” https://raymondeg.com/. Accessed 21 Jun. 2020.