Sunshine List: Ontario Public Sector Salaries Soar

Published: March 27, 2026 at 11:21AM EDT

Ontario’s annual Sunshine List has been released, revealing that over 400,000 public sector employees earned more than $100,000 in 2025 – a significant 7% increase from the previous year. This marks a continued trend of rising salaries within the Ontario public sector.

Who Tops the List?

Once again, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) dominates the top of the Sunshine List. Ken Hartwick, President of OPG, led the pack with a total income of $1,907,408 in 2025. Nicolle Butcher, OPG’s CEO, followed closely behind at $1,596,218, while Steve Gregoris, Chief Nuclear Officer, earned $1,092,854.84.

Remarkably, five of the top ten highest-paid public servants in Ontario were OPG employees, with seven of the top ten from the previous year also hailing from the same organization. This concentration highlights OPG’s significant role in the province’s public sector compensation.

Factors Driving Salary Growth

The 7% increase in the number of employees on the Sunshine List follows a substantial 25% jump in 2024. Caroline Mulroney, President of the Treasury Board, attributed the 2025 increases to a combination of factors, including retroactive payments, collective bargaining agreements, and an extra pay period for several organizations. She also noted that over 50% of the list’s growth was “driven by municipalities.”

Mulroney further emphasized that more than half of those listed work in essential public services like school boards, hospitals, and public health boards, largely comprised of nurses and teachers. This underscores the significant number of frontline workers earning over the $100,000 threshold.

A Long-Standing Tradition

Ontario has been publicly disclosing the names, positions, and salaries of public sector employees earning $100,000 or more annually since 1996. However, the $100,000 threshold has remained unchanged, failing to account for inflation. Adjusting for inflation, a salary of $100,000 in 1996 would be equivalent to approximately $188,000 today. This raises questions about the relevance of the current threshold in reflecting actual earning power.

The Sunshine List continues to be a topic of public discussion, sparking debate about public sector compensation and transparency. You can find more information about the Sunshine List and view the full data on the Ontario Government website.

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