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Caregiver, Client Care Attendant, Geriatric Health Aide, HCA, Health Care Assistant, Home Support Worker, Institutional Aide, Medical Assistant, Nursing Assistant, Personal Care Attendant, Personal Support Worker, Residential Aide
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
Health care aides provide basic health services and support for clients needing assistance. They are supervised by nurses or other regulated health professionals. Health care aides provide physical and emotional support so clients can care for themselves as much as possible. This may be within the community, or in a hospital or long-term care placement.
Health care aides may work with clients who:
Duties vary but, in general, health care aides:
Health care aides may specialize in areas such as:
Working conditions for health care aides vary greatly. Workplaces range from hospitals and care facilities to private homes.
The work can be emotionally and intellectually demanding. Health care aides work with clients who have diverse personalities and are managing a range of personal challenges.
Helping people to move, bathe, dress, and perform other daily tasks also can be physically demanding. Health care aides may have to lift items weighing up to 20 kilograms. They may be on their feet for long periods. They need good general health, knowledge of body mechanics, and awareness of proper lifting techniques.
Hours of work vary. Many employers offer 24-hour service, so they often require health care aides to work shifts including nights and weekends.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2023 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
To find out how well this occupation fits your work personality types, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Click or tap a personality type for its description.
Find other alis occupations that match this occupation’s work personalities.
To identify or change your work personalities, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
To find out how well this occupation fits your work personality types, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Click or tap a personality type for its description.
Find other alis occupations that match this occupation’s work personalities.
To identify or change your work personalities, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2023 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
2023 OaSIS: 33102.00
The graph below shows how well your scores match the overall abilities for this occupation.
The closer your ability scores are to the center, the more they match this occupation’s. The further away they are, the less they match this occupation’s.
The lower your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the more challenging the occupation will likely be for you. The higher your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the less challenging the occupation will likely be for you.
To find out how well this occupation fits your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
The 49 abilities are grouped into 5 abilities sets: Critical Thinking, Numbers and Patterns, Physical Activity, Mind-Body Coordination, and Senses.
Some abilities are more relevant to an occupation than other abilities. Individual abilities that are not relevant to an occupation are greyed out.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Critical Thinking includes 9 abilities related to identifying and solving problems, thinking of ideas, and communication, such as speaking and writing.
This is how well your scores match the set of Critical Thinking abilities for this occupation:
Numbers and Patterns includes 10 abilities related to math, memorizing, and multitasking. It also includes how we perceive patterns, shapes, and distances.
This is how well your scores match the set of Numbers and Patterns abilities for this occupation:
Physical Activity includes 9 abilities related to strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, and endurance.
This is how well your scores match the set of Physical Activity abilities for this occupation:
Mind-Body Coordination includes 9 abilities related to movement control and how we react to signals. It also includes fine motor skills, such finger and hand dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
This is how well your scores match the set of Mind-Body Coordination abilities for this occupation:
Senses includes 12 abilities related to seeing, hearing, and speaking.
This is how well your scores match the set of Senses abilities for this occupation:
Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
2023 OaSIS: 44101.00
The graph below shows how well your scores match the overall abilities for this occupation.
The closer your ability scores are to the center, the more they match this occupation’s. The further away they are, the less they match this occupation’s.
The lower your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the more challenging the occupation will likely be for you. The higher your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the less challenging the occupation will likely be for you.
To find out how well this occupation fits your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
The 49 abilities are grouped into 5 abilities sets: Critical Thinking, Numbers and Patterns, Physical Activity, Mind-Body Coordination, and Senses.
Some abilities are more relevant to an occupation than other abilities. Individual abilities that are not relevant to an occupation are greyed out.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Critical Thinking includes 9 abilities related to identifying and solving problems, thinking of ideas, and communication, such as speaking and writing.
This is how well your scores match the set of Critical Thinking abilities for this occupation:
Numbers and Patterns includes 10 abilities related to math, memorizing, and multitasking. It also includes how we perceive patterns, shapes, and distances.
This is how well your scores match the set of Numbers and Patterns abilities for this occupation:
Physical Activity includes 9 abilities related to strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, and endurance.
This is how well your scores match the set of Physical Activity abilities for this occupation:
Mind-Body Coordination includes 9 abilities related to movement control and how we react to signals. It also includes fine motor skills, such finger and hand dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
This is how well your scores match the set of Mind-Body Coordination abilities for this occupation:
Senses includes 12 abilities related to seeing, hearing, and speaking.
This is how well your scores match the set of Senses abilities for this occupation:
Health care aides need:
Health care aides should enjoy working with and helping people.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 107 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Mar 01, 2025 and Nov 14, 2025.
Review these skills to learn:
| Tasks: Weigh, lift, turn and position patients | 92 |
|---|---|
| Tasks: Bathe, dress and groom patients | 87 |
| Tasks: Make beds and maintain patients' rooms | 85 |
| Tasks: Transport patients in wheelchair or stretcher | 80 |
| Tasks: Serve meal trays and feed patients | 80 |
| Tasks: Administer first aid in emergency situations | 78 |
| Construction Specialization: Reliability | 77 |
| Construction Specialization: Client focus | 75 |
| Certificates, Licences, Memberships, and Courses : First Aid Certificate | 75 |
| Attention to detail | 71 |
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 162 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Oct 17, 2025 and Nov 15, 2025.
Review these skills to learn:
| Tasks: Perform light housekeeping and cleaning duties | 145 |
|---|---|
| Tasks: Provide personal care | 128 |
| Tasks: Prepare and serve nutritious meals | 121 |
| Tasks: Assist clients with bathing and other aspects of personal hygiene | 120 |
| Tasks: Launder clothing and household linens | 112 |
| Tasks: Provide companionship | 108 |
| Tasks: Assist in regular exercise, e.g., walk | 103 |
| Construction Specialization: Reliability | 101 |
| Tasks: Administer bedside and personal care | 97 |
| Construction Specialization: Organized | 88 |
Education requirements vary from one employer to another. Many private and public post-secondary schools in Alberta offer short programs for health care aides.
The Government of Alberta has developed a standard curriculum for health care aide training. Post-secondary schools offer this training throughout the province.
Program length and delivery options vary. There may be full-time, part-time, distance, in-service, or regional delivery options. Full-time programs range from 15 to 27 weeks.
Some schools offer programs for people already working as health care aides. Some employers partner with post-secondary schools to offer on-the-job training. This allows people to earn a certificate while they work.
Employers may require health care aides to have completed training in first aid and food safety.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
Certification is not required, as there is currently no legislation regulating this occupation. However, many employers require certification as a health care aide as a condition for employment.
Health care aides working for publicly funded employers must be enrolled on the Alberta Health Care Aide Directory. Those working for private employers can enrol in the directory but are not required to. The directory has 3 core statuses for health care aides, related to their level of competency: certified, substantial equivalence, and deemed competent.
To become certified as a health care aide in Alberta, you must:
The other statuses have different requirements. For details about all requirements, visit the Directory and Government of Alberta websites.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Health care aides work for:
Some employers hire untrained workers and train them as new health care aides on the job.
Health care aides with experience and additional training may work in more complex settings. They may specialize in areas such as pediatrics or group homes, or end-of-life care, dementia, or brain injury care.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
2016 NOC: 3413
93.5% of people in this occupational group work in:
Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations
2016 NOC: 4412
77.4% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the Alberta job market condition, or short-term demand forecast, for this occupation over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2024-2026 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Salaries for health care aides vary widely depending on the employer and on the employee’s responsibilities, experience, and training.
For information about current collective agreements in the public and not-for-profit sectors, see the Government of Alberta website.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources to supplement this data.
High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $17.00 | $22.39 | $20.12 | $20.37 |
| Overall | $17.65 | $25.72 | $22.77 | $22.85 |
| Top | $20.74 | $26.50 | $24.21 | $24.76 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $36,666 |
|---|---|
| Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Leasing | $38,610 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $35,899 |
| Public Administration | $49,906 |
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $16.00 | $22.02 | $19.16 | $19.00 |
| Overall | $17.00 | $23.65 | $20.27 | $20.00 |
| Top | $18.00 | $26.82 | $22.70 | $23.00 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $26,304 |
|---|---|
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $26,397 |
| Public Administration | $24,885 |
Alberta Health Care Aide Directory website: albertahcadirectory.com
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) website: www.aupe.org
College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) website: www.clpna.com
Government of Alberta Health Care Aide Program website: alberta.ca/health-care-aide-program
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2024. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
