Highest-Paid Firefighters in Ontario (2025)

In 2025, 7,799 firefighter roles appeared on the Ontario Sunshine List, earning an average of $135,302 and a median of $131,668. The highest-paid was James Jessop (Fire Chief General Manager at City Of Toronto) at $305,047. Firefighters, fire captains, and fire chiefs in municipal fire services.

Figures cover disclosed public-sector employees only (those above Ontario’s $100,000 disclosure threshold). Records span 19962025.

Firefighters disclosed (2025)
7,799
Average
$135,302
Median
$131,668
Highest
$305,047

Top 25 highest-paid firefighters (2025)

#NameEmployerTotal
1James JessopCity Of Toronto$305,047
2Deryn RizziCity Of Mississauga$282,298
3Larry CoccoCity Of Toronto$265,011
4Kyle ChristopherCity Of Belleville$263,390
5Paul FitzgeraldCity Of Toronto$257,858
6Steven DarlingCity Of Toronto$255,965
7Debbie HigginsCity Of Toronto$251,812
8Paul HuttCity Of Ottawa$251,327
9Lori Ann HamerCity Of London$248,281
10Kurt PoyhonenCity Of Toronto$247,508
11Kristin G ChrabaCity Of Toronto$245,408
12Michel DesormiersMunicipality Of West Nipissing$244,445
13Therese ChenCity Of Toronto$239,017
14Christopher CaseMunicipality Of Chatham-Kent$236,130
15Kevin SmithCity Of Vaughan$236,053
16Ronald JenkinsTown Of Georgina$235,483
17Andrew ZvanitajsCity Of Vaughan$235,420
18Justin RitaCity Of Vaughan$233,679
19Stephane MaloCity Of Mississauga$232,762
20Michael HickeyTown Of Whitby$231,544
21Drew FooteCity Of Toronto$230,799
22David CunliffeCity Of Hamilton$230,763
23Kevin WhiteCity Of Barrie$229,292
24Jerome JungCity Of Toronto$225,458
25James WaffleCity Of Windsor$225,255

Employers with the most firefighters (2025)

Job titles included

Firefighter2,945Firefighter Operation1,793Fire Fighter652First Class Firefighter386First Class Fire Fighter2431st Class Firefighter215Fire Captain134Fire Chief132Deputy Fire Chief125Firefighter Fire Prevention94

Other Ontario job categories