Ontario Sunshine List 2024: Top Earners, Release & Facts
Ontario’s annual public sector salary disclosure drops on the last Friday of March, and when it does, thousands of names cross a $100,000 threshold that hasn’t moved since 1996. The 2024 edition landed March 29 with more than 375,000 entries — a jump that caught even veteran watchers of the list off guard.
Release Date: March 29, 2024 · Employees Listed: 375,000+ · Top Earner: Kenneth Hartwick, $2,010,895.76 · Threshold: $100,000+ · Coverage: 1996 to 2024
Quick snapshot
- 2024 list grew to 375,000+ names (Global News)
- Kenneth Hartwick (OPG CEO) topped the list at $2,010,895.76 (Global News)
- School boards drove nearly half the year-over-year growth (Global News)
- Whether the $100,000 threshold will ever be adjusted for inflation
- Exact sector-by-sector breakdown beyond school board attribution
- 2022: 267,000 names → 2023: ~300,000 → 2024: 375,000+ (Global News)
- Consistent annual growth every year since 1996 launch (Global News)
- 2025 list anticipated around March 2026 (Global News)
- 2025 list already surpassed 400,000 entries (Global News)
The table below summarizes key facts about the Ontario Sunshine List 2024, drawing from official government disclosure data and news reporting.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Official URL | Ontario.ca (Public Sector Salary Disclosure) |
| Database Coverage | 1996–2024 |
| Salary Threshold | $100,000+ annual pay |
| Top Employer (top earners) | Ontario Power Generation (OPG) |
| 2024 List Size | 375,000+ employees |
| Top Earner | Kenneth Hartwick, OPG CEO, $2,010,895.76 |
| List Launch Year | 1996 |
What is the Ontario Sunshine List 2024?
The Sunshine List is Ontario’s annual public sector salary disclosure, created under the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act of 1996. Every year, employers in education, healthcare, municipalities, and provincial agencies must report the names and compensation of any employee paid $100,000 or more in the previous calendar year.
The $100,000 threshold has stayed fixed since the list launched in 1996. According to a Bank of Canada inflation calculator, that same $100,000 in 1996 dollars equals over $180,000 in 2023 dollars — meaning 22,530 workers who would have qualified under an inflation-adjusted threshold were not included under the current rules. The government has stated it has no plans to raise the threshold.
The full list is published on the Ontario government website (Ontario.ca) and becomes available on searchable third-party databases within 24 hours of release.
Eligibility threshold
Employees qualify if they received total compensation — including salary, overtime, and severance — of $100,000 or more in a given year. The list captures the previous calendar year’s pay and is released the following spring.
Official source
The official 2024 disclosure for 2024 pay is available at ontario.ca, though the primary 2024 list released in March 2024 reflected 2023 compensation. Workers at Ontario Power Generation, hospitals, school boards, municipalities, and provincial agencies all appear on the list.
When was the Ontario Sunshine List 2024 released?
Ontario released the 2024 Sunshine List on March 29, 2024 (the last Friday of March, following the consistent annual Friday release pattern). The list covers public sector employees who earned $100,000 or more during 2023.
Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney attributed nearly half the 2024 growth to the school board sector. The growth follows a consistent upward arc that has seen the list expand every year since its 1996 launch, but the rate of increase has not been linear.
This release came roughly a year before the next edition, which will disclose 2024 earnings and is expected around March 2026.
Who are the top earners on the Ontario Sunshine List 2024?
Kenneth Hartwick, President and CEO of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), claimed the top spot on the 2024 list with total compensation of $2,010,895.76 — making him the highest-paid public sector employee disclosed that year. OPG executives dominated the top ten, with several crossing the $800,000 mark.
Number one spot
Hartwick’s compensation reflects his role leading Ontario’s largest crown corporation, which operates nuclear and hydroelectric generating stations across the province. His salary package placed him well ahead of the second-highest earner.
Top 100 overview
- Kenneth Hartwick (OPG CEO): $2,010,895.76 — Global News
- Nicolle Butcher (OPG COO): $978,380.20 — Global News
- Steve Gregoris (OPG Chief Nuclear Officer): $919,310.33 — Global News
- Phil Verster (former Metrolinx CEO): $883,990.63 — Global News
- Kevin Smith (University Health Network CEO): $883,097.20 — Global News
- Ronald Cohn (OPG executive): $870,013.40 — Global News
Key employers
Ontario Power Generation and the University Health Network were the two dominant employers among top earners. Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, also placed high with Phil Verster entering the top five for the first time.
Ontario Power Generation is a crown corporation whose costs are ultimately passed on to electricity ratepayers. When OPG executives occupy the top five spots on the Sunshine List, ratepayers bear the burden of financing compensation that outpaces what most private-sector workers earn.
How has the Sunshine List grown from 2023?
The 2024 list hit 375,000+ names, up from roughly 300,000 in 2023 — a jump of approximately 75,000 names, or about 25% growth in a single year. For context, the list held 267,000 names in 2022, meaning the increase accelerated sharply after years of steady growth.
Size increase
The 25% year-over-year spike surprised many observers. The growth follows a consistent upward arc that has seen the list expand every year since its 1996 launch, but the rate of increase has not been linear.
Trend analysis
Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney attributed nearly half the 2024 growth to the school board sector. Combined with continued expansion in healthcare, municipalities, and provincial agencies, the list’s trajectory reflects both genuine wage increases and the threshold’s fixed nominal value catching more workers as salaries rise over time.
What this means: Because the $100,000 threshold has never been indexed to inflation, every year more workers cross it simply because their nominal salaries grew — not necessarily because they received a real raise. The 22,530 workers who would have qualified if the threshold were inflation-adjusted since 1996 illustrate how many Canadians sit just below a line that was drawn 28 years ago.
What about the Sunshine List 2025 and 2026?
The 2025 Sunshine List — covering 2024 pay — was already released by March 2025 and grew to over 400,000 entries from 375,000 in 2024, according to Global News reporting. The 2026 list, covering 2025 pay, is expected around March 2026, following the established Friday-release pattern.
Expected release dates
Based on the consistent annual pattern, the 2025 Sunshine List was released in March 2025, with the 2026 list expected by late March 2026. Both editions will maintain the $100,000 threshold, meaning list sizes will likely continue expanding as nominal wages grow.
Historical patterns
The Sunshine List has grown every year since 1996 without exception. With no movement on the threshold and public sector wage settlements continuing, the 2026 list is likely to surpass 425,000 names. Searchable databases at OntarioSunshineList.com and SunshineList.ca provide ongoing access to current and historical records.
The pattern is clear: same threshold, same timing, ever-larger list. Whether that represents fiscal responsibility or fiscal drift depends entirely on what Ontario residents decide to do about it.
“nearly half of the growth on the list released Friday was driven by the school board sector.”
Related reading: Bank of Canada interest rates · CPP payment amounts
The Sunshine List spotlights gross earnings over $100k, but an Ontario after-tax salary calculator clarifies net take-home pay using 2025 provincial tax brackets.
Frequently asked questions
What salary level qualifies for the Sunshine List?
Employees who received total compensation of $100,000 or more in a calendar year — including salary, overtime, and severance — must be disclosed. The threshold has been fixed at $100,000 since the list launched in 1996.
Can I search the Sunshine List by employer?
Yes. The official Ontario government website offers downloadable data, while third-party sites like OntarioSunshineList.com and SunshineList.ca provide searchable databases organized by employer, sector, and name.
Does the Sunshine List include bonuses?
Yes. The list reports total compensation, which includes salary, overtime, and severance. Bonuses paid as part of annual compensation are captured in the disclosed figure.
Is the Sunshine List only for Ontario?
Yes. The Sunshine List is Ontario-specific, governed by the province’s Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act. Other provinces have their own disclosure regimes, though Ontario’s is one of the longest-running in Canada.
How often is the Sunshine List updated?
The list is updated annually, released on the last Friday of March each year. The 2024 list covered 2023 pay and was released March 29, 2024.
Who publishes the official Sunshine List?
The Ontario Ministry of Public and Service Renewal publishes the official list on the Ontario government website, with data from employers across education, healthcare, municipalities, and provincial agencies.
What sectors are covered in the Sunshine List?
The list covers public sector employers including school boards, hospitals, universities, municipalities, and provincial agencies and crown corporations. School boards drove nearly half the growth in the 2024 list, according to Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney.
Related reading
- How the 2025 list grew past 400,000 names (Global News)
- Full 2024 dataset from Ontario.ca
- Search by name, employer, or sector at OntarioSunshineList.com
Fixed thresholds benefit transparency by keeping comparisons consistent over time, but they also mean the list captures more workers not because wages rose in real terms, but because $100,000 in 2024 buys less than $100,000 did in 1996. Every year without an inflation adjustment makes the list slightly less useful as a strict “high salary” indicator and slightly more useful as a “public sector growth” proxy.
More related posts
Mexico All Inclusive Vacations: Safety, Timing & Best Resorts
Whole Life Insurance Canada: Costs, Pros & Cons Explained
What Does A&W Stand For? Origins, History & Myths
Vignoble Rivière du Chêne: Menu, Prices, Weddings & History
The Five People You Meet in Heaven: Plot, Lessons & Summary
Financial Con ultant Near Me: Co t , Red Flag & Worth (2026)
Monster Mini Golf Edmonton: Prices, Reviews, Age Guide
Halifax Shopping Centre Directory – Full Store List, Map and Hours
