Ontario's Police Payroll: Inside the Sunshine List
The Big Picture
Ontario's police services collectively disclosed $3.81 billion in salaries for 2025 — a figure that covers every officer, detective, and senior administrator earning above the $100,000 Sunshine List threshold. That average of $149,996 is up sharply from $138,433 in 2024, an 8.4% year-over-year jump that outpaces inflation by a significant margin.
The Ontario Provincial Police is the largest single employer in the dataset, with 7,684 officers listed and a total payroll exceeding $1.21 billion. Toronto Police is a close second at $1.06 billion across 7,083 disclosed salaries. Together, these two forces account for nearly 60% of all police payroll disclosed on the Sunshine List.
"The OPP and Toronto Police together account for nearly 60% of all disclosed police payroll in Ontario — a combined $2.27 billion."
The Rankings
All 25 police forces on the 2025 Sunshine List, ranked by total payroll:
| # | Force | Officers Listed | Total Payroll | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ontario Provincial Police | 7,684 | $1,210,196,812 | $157,496 |
| 2 | Toronto Police Service | 7,083 | $1,059,419,798 | $149,572 |
| 3 | Peel Regional Police | 2,639 | $399,125,704 | $151,241 |
| 4 | York Regional Police | 2,072 | $281,277,190 | $135,752 |
| 5 | Ottawa Police Service | 1,779 | $261,790,884 | $147,156 |
| 6 | Waterloo Regional Police | 1,052 | $145,619,849 | $138,422 |
| 7 | Niagara Regional Police | 957 | $143,154,926 | $149,587 |
| 8 | London Police Service | 738 | $106,439,206 | $144,227 |
| 9 | Nishnawbe Aski Police Service | 252 | $43,425,182 | $172,322 |
| 10 | Guelph Police Service | 265 | $35,909,466 | $135,507 |
| 11 | Kingston Police | 227 | $32,808,323 | $144,530 |
| 12 | Sault Ste. Marie Police | 148 | $20,239,080 | $136,751 |
| 13 | South Simcoe Police | 106 | $14,405,044 | $135,897 |
| 14 | North Bay Police | 101 | $13,799,666 | $136,630 |
| 15 | Cornwall Police Service | 90 | $12,337,245 | $137,081 |
Officer Count Growth
The number of officers appearing on the Sunshine List has grown substantially over the past decade, driven both by rising salaries pushing more officers above the $100,000 threshold and by hiring increases across many forces. Toronto's Sunshine List count has grown from 4,645 in 2015 to 7,083 in 2025 — a 53% increase in a decade.
The Per-Officer Average
Average salary varies considerably across forces. The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, which serves remote First Nations communities across northern Ontario, posts the highest per-officer average at $172,322 — reflecting the remote pay premiums and specialized roles in the service. The OPP averages $157,496, while Toronto sits at $149,572.
At the lower end, York Regional Police averages $135,752 despite having the fourth-largest roster — suggesting a younger workforce or fewer senior officers reaching the higher salary bands.
"The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service tops the per-officer average at $172,322 — $22,000 above the provincial police average."
Data sourced from the Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure (Sunshine List), published annually by the Government of Ontario. Figures reflect employees earning $100,000 or more in calendar year 2025.