TORONTO — The Ontario government has released its 2025 Public Sector Salary Disclosure, commonly known as the “Sunshine List,” revealing that over 400,000 public employees now earn an annual salary of $100,000 or more. The latest figures show a significant surge in the number of high-earners across the province, with the energy sector continuing to dominate the top of the rankings. Executives from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) secured the first five positions on the list, led by former CEO Kenneth Hartwick, who remains the province’s highest-paid public servant with a total compensation of $1.9 million. He is followed closely by the current CEO, Nicolle Butcher, who earned $1.6 million.
Political and civic leaders also saw notable increases in their compensation this year. Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s salary rose substantially to $269,567, up from $208,974 the previous year. In the municipal sector, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti emerged as the highest-paid mayor with a salary of $308,179, surpassing Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who earned $240,349. Meanwhile, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw recorded a base annual salary of $445,366, reflecting the high stakes and responsibilities of public safety leadership in the province’s capital.
Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney explained that the expansion of the list is largely due to retroactive pay settlements mandated by court orders and the implementation of newly negotiated collective bargaining agreements. These adjustments were particularly evident in municipalities, school boards, and the healthcare sector. Officials noted that as salaries are modernized to reflect current economic realities, more frontline workers are crossing the six-figure threshold that was originally established nearly three decades ago.
The report has reignited the debate over whether the $100,000 disclosure threshold, set in 1996, remains a relevant measure of “high” pay. Critics argue that when adjusted for inflation, the threshold should now sit at approximately $185,000. If such an adjustment were made, thousands of nurses and teachers—who currently appear on the list due to overtime and standard cost-of-living increases—would be removed, shifting the public’s focus back toward top-tier executive compensation rather than middle-class public service wages.
