Salary of an NFL Mascot
The pay scale of a mascot for a professional sports team, including an NFL franchise, varies widely by location. A performer's own skill set and willingness to work in adverse conditions can affect how much a team is willing to pay for his services. The performer's safety record, including a record of injuring fans and players, can also play a role in salary and hiring decisions.
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NFL Mascot Salary Scale
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The salary of an NFL mascot can vary by the team. A major-market franchise with more disposable income, including the New York Giants or Jets, may be able to pay more to a mascot than a smaller market team like the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to online magazine Imagined, an NFL mascot's salary can range from as low as $23,000 per season to upward of $65,000 annually. The performer's level of experience and skill at the position will also play a part in how much the mascot earns each year.
Employee Health Benefits
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The work of NFL mascots can be fun, but it's also potentially dangerous. Performers are at constant risk of bodily injury while navigating small stadium stairs, working in hot temperatures, interacting with fans or performing stunts on the playing field. Full health benefits, including vision and dental care, are an integral component of all mascot annual benefits packages. According to USA Today's website, a 2005 study conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine indicated that 42 percent of all professional sports mascots suffer from heat-related injuries or illnesses during the respective sports seasons.
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Pay Bonuses and Incentives
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Riling up the crowd and encouraging a positive atmosphere throughout the stadium is part of the job description of an NFL mascot. Home teams depend on crowd noise to confuse opposing offenses and make it tough for visiting players to hear play calls and sustain drives against them. NFL teams take the roles of mascots into consideration when awarding playoff bonuses, giving team mascots pay bonuses to a maximum of $10,000 depending on how far teams make it in the postseason.
Avoiding a Lawsuit
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Interacting with the crowd can bring just as much trouble as positive feelings. Mascots from all professional sports, including the NFL, are at risk for lawsuits in the event of fan or player injuries from reckless mascot actions. According to the Smoking Gun, New Orleans Saint quarterback Adrian McPherson sued the Tennessee Titans for $20 million in damages in 2006 after the team's mascot ran him over while driving a golf cart onto the field. Mascots incurring million-dollar lawsuits for employing NFL franchises will not have bright futures in the industry.
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