Common 2025 VA Ratings Explained: A Veteran’s Guide

How VA Disability Ratings Are Determined

The VA uses the Veterans Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD), outlined in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 4, to assign disability ratings. This schedule contains diagnostic codes for various conditions and criteria for assigning a percentage based on the severity and functional impairment caused by the disability. Key factors in determining a rating include:

• Medical Evidence: Comprehensive medical records, including diagnoses, treatment history, and opinions from medical professionals.
• Service Connection: Proof that the condition was incurred or aggravated during active military service. Learn more about eligibility for VA disability benefits.
• Compensation & Pension (C&P) Exam: A VA-scheduled medical examination conducted by a VA or contract doctor to assess the severity of your condition. Find out more about the VA claim exam.
• Lay Evidence: Personal statements from the Veteran, family, or friends detailing the impact of the disability on daily life.

It’s important to note that if you have multiple service-connected disabilities, the VA uses a “whole person theory” to calculate a combined disability rating. This is not a simple sum of individual percentages but a more complex calculation that ensures the total rating does not exceed 100% (as a person cannot be more than 100% disabled). Resources and online calculators are available to help Veterans estimate their combined rating. You can learn more about how VA assigns disability ratings and calculate your combined rating.

2025 VA Disability Compensation Rates (Veteran Alone)

As of December 1, 2024, with a 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025, here are the monthly compensation rates for a Veteran with no dependents:

Note: Compensation rates are higher for Veterans with dependents (spouse, children, or dependent parents) at 30% disability rating and above. You can view the full disability compensation rates chart on VA.gov.

Common VA Disability Ratings

1. Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)

Tinnitus is one of the most common service-connected conditions among Veterans, often linked to exposure to loud noises in military service (e.g., gunfire, explosions, aircraft engines). Despite its prevalence, the VA has a very specific and generally uniform rating for tinnitus.

• Diagnostic Code: 6260
• Common Rating: 10%
• Criteria: The VA assigns a flat 10% disability rating for tinnitus, regardless of whether it affects one ear or both, and regardless of the severity of the ringing. This is the maximum rating the VA assigns for tinnitus itself. The VA considers tinnitus a symptom rather than a distinct disease with varying levels of impairment.

While a 10% rating may seem low, it can contribute to your overall combined rating, which can significantly increase your total monthly compensation. Tinnitus can also be service-connected as a secondary condition to other disabilities, such as hearing loss, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or PTSD, potentially leading to a higher overall combined rating.

2. Back Pain (Spine Conditions)

Back pain and other spinal conditions are incredibly common among Veterans, resulting from injuries, strenuous activity, or degenerative conditions exacerbated by service. The VA rates back conditions based primarily on range of motion (ROM), but also considers pain, immobility, and incapacitating episodes.

• Diagnostic Codes: Various, including 5235-5243 (e.g., vertebral fracture, lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease, intervertebral disc syndrome).
• Common Ratings: 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 100%
• Key Rating Factor: Range of Motion (ROM): The VA measures the spine’s forward flexion and other movements.
  • 100%: Unfavorable ankylosis (complete fixation) of the entire spine.
  • 50%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar (lower/mid) spine.
  • 40%: Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less; or unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical (neck) spine.
  • 20%: Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees but not greater than 85 degrees.
  • 10%: Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 85 degrees but not greater than 120 degrees; or if there is painful motion without significant limitation of motion (due to the “painful motion” principle, at least a 10% rating is usually warranted if movement causes pain).
• Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS): For conditions like herniated discs, the VA may rate based on incapacitating episodes (periods of severe symptoms preventing work or daily activities):
  • 60%: Total duration of incapacitating episodes at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months.
  • 40%: Total duration of incapacitating episodes at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the past 12 months.
  • 20%: Total duration of incapacitating episodes at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks during the past 12 months.
  • 10%: Total duration of incapacitating episodes at least 1 week but less than 2 weeks during the past 12 months.

3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a mental health condition that is highly prevalent among Veterans and is rated based on the severity of symptoms and their impact on social and occupational functioning. The VA utilizes Diagnostic Code 9411 for PTSD ratings.

• Diagnostic Code: 9411
• Common Ratings: 30%, 50%, 70%
• Criteria (based on occupational and social impairment):
  • 0%: A mental disorder has been diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication. (Note: The VA has proposed changes that may eliminate the 0% rating for mental health conditions.)
  • 10%: Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication.
  • 30%: Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, and/or mild memory loss.
  • 50%: Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty in understanding complex commands, impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks), impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.
  • 70%: Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities, near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, spatial disorientation, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances, and/or inability to establish and maintain effective work and social relationships. This is often the most common rating for service-connected PTSD.
  • 100%: Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as gross impairment in thought processes or communication, persistent delusions or hallucinations, grossly inappropriate behavior, persistent danger of hurting self or others, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene), disorientation to time or place, memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.

4. Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. For Veterans, it is often linked to service-related conditions like PTSD, TBI, or exposure to burn pits. The VA rates sleep apnea based on the severity of symptoms and the type of treatment required.

• Diagnostic Code: 6847
• Common Ratings: 0%, 30%, 50%, 100%
• Criteria (Current Rating Schedule):
  • 100%: Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale (right-sided heart failure), or requires tracheostomy.
  • 50%: Requires use of a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine. This has been a very common rating for Veterans prescribed CPAP.
  • 30%: Persistent daytime hypersomnolence (extreme sleepiness).
  • 0%: Asymptomatic but with a documented sleep breathing disorder.

Preparing Your VA Disability Claim

Regardless of the condition, a successful VA disability claim hinges on providing comprehensive evidence. This includes:

• Medical Diagnosis: A current diagnosis from a medical professional clearly stating your condition.
• Service Connection: Evidence (medical records, service records, lay statements) that links your condition to your military service. This is often called a “nexus.” You can find more information about evidence needed for your disability claim.
• Severity of Symptoms: Detailed documentation of how your condition affects your daily life, work, and social functioning. This can include doctors’ notes, medical test results, and personal statements.
• Buddy Statements: Statements from fellow service members or family/friends who can attest to the onset or worsening of your condition and its impact.

Working with an accredited Veteran Service Organization (VSO), a VA-accredited claims agent, or a Veterans disability attorney can significantly improve your chances of a successful claim. These professionals can help you gather evidence, understand the rating criteria, and navigate the complex VA claims process. The VA offers resources to get help filing a claim.

The Bottom Line

VA disability ratings can feel overwhelming, but understanding how the process works gives you a powerful advantage. Ratings aren’t just percentages—they determine your compensation and access to other benefits.

By learning how the VA evaluates each condition, gathering strong evidence, and staying informed on rating updates (like proposed changes to sleep apnea), you can position yourself for the best outcome.

Whether you’re newly filing or appealing a low rating, support is available. From accredited VSOs to legal experts, help is out there to guide you through the VA disability system and ensure you get the benefits you’ve earned.