After more than two decades caring for patients in hospitals and nursing homes in France, Sylvie, now 67, admits that her retirement pension is less than expected. He retired at 62, after a career marked by long shifts, great physical exhaustion and frequent city changes as a nursing assistant. Currently, with 1,625 euros net per month, he feels that the amount does not correspond to the demands of a lifetime dedicated to others.
Sylvie worked for 25 years as a nursing assistant in various hospitals and nursing homes in western France. “As my husband was a salesman and changed companies often, we ended up moving too”, she recalls to the French newspaper Le Figaro. “I worked in different centers, mainly public and sometimes private hospitals, as well as nursing homes.”
Born in Sarthe, he worked in hospitals in Le Mans, Laval, Angers and Rennes. Despite the instability, he guarantees that this reality brought him experience and professional stimulation. “If I had spent my entire career in the same place, I think I would have gotten bored. When changing departments, I always learned something new and discovered other ways of working.”
A career dedicated to intensive care
For three years, Sylvie worked in a neonatology unit at a private hospital in Rennes, according to Spanish digital newspaper Noticias Trabajo. “I took care of premature babies, and it was there that I felt that my work really made a difference”, he says with emotion.
Despite successive contracts, he never lacked work. “I always arrived at teams with a lack of personnel, and they welcomed me with open arms, because they knew they could count on me.”
In his last position, in a public residence for the elderly in Angers, he received around 2,300 euros gross, which corresponded to approximately 1,900 euros net. The reform arrived in October 2020, shortly before the most recent change to the French pension system, according to the same source. “I welcomed retirement with enthusiasm. After so many years of caring for others, I wanted to take care of myself and do things I never had time for.”
“My pension is insufficient”
Currently, Sylvie receives 1,790 euros gross per month, which is equivalent to 1,625 euros net. He is a multi-pensioner, receiving benefits from different pension funds, namely AGIRC-ARRCO and the National Pension Fund for Local Government Employees (CNRACL).
Despite this, she feels undervalued, according to . “My pension is insufficient, considering the effort and responsibility of this work”, laments the retired woman. “The long hours, physical work, restless nights and lack of recognition accumulate over time.”
Still, she appears calm. “Now I want to enjoy my free time, travel and take care of myself. It’s been many years of taking care of others.”
How much do nursing assistants earn in Portugal?
In Portugal, the reality is similar, or even more demanding. An Auxiliary Health Technician, equivalent to a nursing assistant, receives, on average, between 900 and 1,200 euros gross per month, depending on the institution, seniority and salary supplements.
Professionals who work in the National Health Service are part of the general career of operational assistant, with a base salary of 878.41 euros, according to the single remuneration table for the Public Service in 2025. To this amount are added shift, night or biological risk allowances, which can increase final income.
As in France, in Portugal the profession continues to be marked by strong physical demands, rotating hours and little recognition. Despite being an essential function, many assistants admit that the renovations end up not reflecting the weight of a lifetime of dedication.
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