Patient care attendant salary in Quebec: the rate, the premiums, the CHSLD
In the public network, the patient care attendant earns $29.40 an hour since April 1, 2026. The rate, the evening, night and CHSLD premiums, the annual salary.
In the public network, the patient care attendant salary has been $29.40 an hour since April 1, 2026. The rate is the same in hospitals and in CHSLDs. Premiums make the difference.
Job title 3480
The job title nomenclature of the health and social services network, updated on September 15, 2026, classifies the patient care attendant under number 3480. Its ranking has been 9 since April 1, 2020.
A single rate, with no steps
Until April 1, 2020, title 3480 had six steps, from $20.76 to $23.22 an hour. Since that date, the nomenclature shows only one rate. Seniority does not change the hourly rate.
| In effect on | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2024 | $27.92 |
| April 1, 2025 | $28.65 |
| March 31, 2026 | $28.68 |
| April 1, 2026 | $29.40 |
| April 1, 2027 | $30.43 |
Source: job title nomenclature, part III, page III.132, version of September 15, 2026.
Raises under the 2023-2028 agreement
The FSSS-CSN collective agreement, in effect from June 16, 2024 to March 31, 2028, sets five increases in paragraph 8.33:
- 6.00% on April 1, 2023
- 2.80% on April 1, 2024
- 2.60% on April 1, 2025
- 2.50% on April 1, 2026
- 3.50% on April 1, 2027
Paragraph 8.34 adds an adjustment clause tied to the consumer price index in Quebec, capped at 1.00% a year. It raised the rate from $28.65 to $28.68 on March 31, 2026 and may apply again on March 31, 2027 and March 31, 2028.
The work week and annual salary
The nomenclature sets the week for title 3480 at between 35 and 36.25 hours. The FSSS-CSN agreement, in paragraph 8.35, counts 52.18 weeks in a year.
| Week | Calculation | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|
| 35 hours | $29.40 × 35 × 52.18 | $53,693 |
| 36.25 hours | $29.40 × 36.25 × 52.18 | $55,611 |
Our calculation, full time, without premiums or overtime.
Premiums
The rates below come from the CPNSSS (the bargaining committee for the health and social services network) table of premiums under the 2024-2028 national collective agreements, for the period from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
| Premium | Base rate | Increased rate |
|---|---|---|
| Evening | 7% of the hourly salary, minimum $2.08 an hour | 10% |
| Night | 14% of the hourly salary, minimum $4.17 an hour | 18% |
| Weekend | 5% of the hourly salary, minimum $1.50 an hour | 9% |
| CHSLD, seniors' home, alternative home | $1.74 an hour | $2.33 an hour |
According to the FSSS-CSN agreement, the increased evening, night and weekend premiums go to employees who accumulate 70 or more paid hours per 14-day pay period. The weekend premium also requires a service open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
At the $29.40 rate, 7% gives $2.06, 14% gives $4.12 and 5% gives $1.47. The attendant therefore receives the minimums: $2.08 in the evening, $4.17 at night and $1.50 on weekends.
Salary in a CHSLD
A public CHSLD (long-term care centre) pays the title 3480 rate, like a hospital. Paragraph 9.16 of the FSSS-CSN agreement adds a premium for each hour worked in a CHSLD, a seniors' home (maison des aînés) or an alternative home (maison alternative).
The increased premium of $2.33 goes to the attendant who works all the hours set for their job title. Full time in a CHSLD, the rate therefore reaches $31.73 an hour, that is $29.40 plus $2.33.
Critical care
The FSSS-CSN agreement also gives the patient care attendant a critical care premium in the emergency department, intensive care, the neonatal unit, the coronary unit and the burn unit. It is 15% for 70 or more paid hours per 14-day period, 14% from 42 hours and 10% below 42 hours.
Overtime
Article 19 of the FSSS-CSN agreement pays overtime at time and a half of the regular salary, that is $44.10 an hour at the 2026 rate. Double time applies on a statutory holiday and, under certain conditions, for a full weekend shift in a service open 24 hours a day.
Subsidized private CHSLDs and private seniors' residences
The FSSS-CSN agreement places subsidized private institutions in the health and social services sector and gives them its Appendix M. Title 3480 and its rate apply there to employees covered by this agreement.
No public scale applies in a non-subsidized private CHSLD or in a private seniors' residence. The employer, or the institution's collective agreement, sets the salary. Our article Working in a CHSLD compares the settings.
Further reading
To become an attendant, see the training and the $12,000 bursary. To apply, see where to find an attendant job. For the next step, see from attendant to licensed practical nurse. The whole trade is gathered in Patient care attendant in Quebec.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a PAB's salary in 2026?
In the public network, the hourly rate is $28.65 until March 30, 2026, $28.68 on March 31, then $29.40 from April 1, 2026. Premiums are added on top.
What is the salary scale?
Title 3480 has had no step scale since April 1, 2020. The nomenclature shows a single rate: $29.40 an hour since April 1, 2026, then $30.43 on April 1, 2027.
What is the average salary of a patient care attendant?
The Government of Canada Job Bank publishes a median salary, not an average. For nurse aides in Quebec, group 33102, which includes patient care attendants, it is $25.10 an hour, with a low wage of $20.00 and a high wage of $27.92. The reference period is 2023-2024 and the update is dated November 19, 2025.
What does a patient care attendant earn in 2026?
Full time in the public network, the $29.40 rate gives $53,693 a year for a 35-hour week and $55,611 for a 36.25-hour week. The calculation counts 52.18 weeks and leaves out premiums and overtime.
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Sources
- Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Nomenclature des titres d'emploi, des libellés, des taux et des échelles de salaire du réseau de la santé et des services sociaux, pages II.96 and III.132, September 15, 2026
- CPNSSS, Primes des conventions collectives nationales 2024-2028, consulted on October 10, 2026
- CPNSSS and FSSS-CSN, Convention collective, version administrative, in effect from June 16, 2024 to March 31, 2028, articles 8, 9, 15 and 19, Appendix M
- CPNSSS, Titres d'emploi, salaires et primes, consulted on October 10, 2026
- Government of Canada, Job Bank, Salaires, aide-soignant au Québec (CNP 33102), updated November 19, 2025