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Patient care attendant: $29.40/hLicensed practical nurse: $27.78 to $37.08/hNurse: $29.61 to $47.48/hNurse practitioner: $34.86 to $73.20/hRespiratory therapist: $29.12 to $45.20/hNext increase: April 1, 2027Patient care attendant DEP: 705 hoursLicensed practical nurse DEP: 1,800 hoursPatient care attendant: $29.40/hLicensed practical nurse: $27.78 to $37.08/hNurse: $29.61 to $47.48/hNurse practitioner: $34.86 to $73.20/hRespiratory therapist: $29.12 to $45.20/hNext increase: April 1, 2027Patient care attendant DEP: 705 hoursLicensed practical nurse DEP: 1,800 hours

Patient care attendant in Quebec

The patient care attendant (PAB) in Quebec, from training to the first shift: the role, the DEP, the bursary, the salary and the employers, with links to each of our articles on the occupation.

Updated on October 14, 2026. Figures taken from official sources consulted on October 10, 2026.

The occupation in brief

In the public network, the patient care attendant holds job title 3480. The network nomenclature describes the attendant as the person who provides assistance care related to activities of daily living. The tasks: hygiene, well-being, supervision, mobility and basic care. The description of title 3480 requires no diploma. The department's bursary, however, requires admission to the DEP. The role and tasks, in detail

The steps to become a patient care attendant

  1. Check the DEP admission requirements. A high school diploma, or Secondary 3 credits, or age 18 and the general development test. Attendant training
  2. Apply for the bursary through a health institution. $12,000 in 2026-2027, in exchange for one year of work. The application goes through the institution that hires you.
  3. Take DEP 5405. 705 hours, daytime, at 30 hours a week in the groups consulted. DEP 5358, replaced by DEP 5405
  4. Take the PDSP. The training on safe movement of persons, whose theory part can be taken online. The PDSB, now the PDSP
  5. Apply. In the public network, in a private CHSLD (long-term care centre) or in a private seniors' residence. Where to apply

Training and the bursary

DEP 5405, Soutien aux services d'assistance en établissement de santé et de services sociaux, lasts 705 hours and has 47 credits, according to Inforoute FPT. It was introduced in 2025 and replaces the 870-hour DEP 5358. It also trains the health and social services assistant, who works in people's homes.

The 375-hour, three-month training launched in 2020 is no longer offered by any school organization. The cost of the DEP changes from one centre to another. At the CFP Le Tremplin, the September 21, 2026 group is listed at about $320, materials included.

The Department of Health and Social Services (MSSS) offers 1,150 bursaries of $12,000 for 2026-2027. The recipient commits to working at least one year in an eligible institution. If they do not honour this commitment, they may have to repay up to $8,000. The $4,000 paid at graduation is not repayable.

The salary

Title 3480 pays a single rate of $29.40 an hour since April 1, 2026, in hospital as in a public CHSLD. It has had no steps since April 1, 2020: seniority does not change the rate. Full time, without premiums, that gives $53,693 a year for 35 hours a week and $55,611 for 36.25 hours. In a CHSLD, a premium adds $1.74 an hour, or $2.33 full time. The rate rises to $30.43 on April 1, 2027. The attendant's salary, premiums included

Where the patient care attendant works

Santé Québec has been the single employer of the public network since December 1, 2024. Applications are submitted on each institution's recruitment site. The attendant also works in private CHSLDs, subsidized or not, and in private seniors' residences, where the declaration of criminal record is submitted before starting work. Canada's Job Bank rates prospects as "Good" in Quebec for 2025 to 2027.

Staffing agencies are disappearing from the public network. The last deadline, for seven remote regions, falls on October 18, 2026. What the law still allows

After attendant: licensed practical nurse

The licensed practical nurse DEP, 5325, lasts 1,800 hours. The department offers 200 bursaries of $20,000 in 2026-2027 for this program. From attendant to licensed practical nurse, and the page Licensed practical nurse in Quebec.

All our articles on the patient care attendant

Frequently asked questions

What is the role of a patient care attendant?

The attendant provides assistance care related to activities of daily living, according to the description of job title 3480. In practice: hygiene, well-being, supervision, mobility and basic care, as part of the care team.

What are the prerequisites to become a patient care attendant?

For DEP 5405, any one of these conditions is enough, according to Inforoute FPT: a high school diploma or equivalent, or age 16 and Secondary 3 credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics, or age 18 and passing the general development test. For the bursary, you also need Canadian citizenship or permanent residence and to reside in Quebec.

How long is the training to become a patient care attendant?

DEP 5405 lasts 705 hours, or about 7 months according to Inforoute FPT. The daytime groups consulted have 30 hours of classes a week.

How much does patient care attendant training cost?

The cost changes from one vocational training centre to another. Example: about $320, materials included, at the CFP Le Tremplin for the September 21, 2026 group. The department's bursary is worth $12,000 in 2026-2027, in exchange for one year of work in an eligible institution.

What is a patient care attendant's salary in 2026?

$29.40 an hour since April 1, 2026 in the public network, a single rate with no steps. Full time, that gives $53,693 to $55,611 a year depending on the work week, without premiums.

What PAB jobs are available in Quebec?

In the public network, Santé Québec positions are posted on each institution's recruitment site. The attendant works in hospital, in a public or private CHSLD, in a maison des aînés and in a private seniors' residence. The same DEP also leads to the title of health and social services assistant, in people's homes.

Sources