VA Disability Calculator 2026
The VA does not add your ratings together. It combines them with the “whole person” method in the 38 CFR 4.25 table, then rounds the result to the nearest 10. That is why a 50% and a 30% rating give you 70%, not 80%, and why 100% is harder to reach than the numbers suggest.
Run your own numbers
Enter each rating you have. Mark the ones that affect both arms or both legs so the bilateral factor is applied. The tool shows your combined value, your rounded rating and the 2026 monthly pay for a veteran alone.
This calculator is an estimate for education. Your official combined rating is the one on your VA decision letter. 100 Percent Vet is not the VA and is not affiliated with the VA.
How does the VA calculate a combined disability rating?
VA math starts from the idea that you are a whole person, 100% efficient. Each rating takes a bite out of whatever efficiency is left, not out of the full 100. The rule lives in 38 CFR 4.25, and the VA publishes the same table on its “About disability ratings” page.
Here is the process, step by step:
- List your ratings from highest to lowest.
- Start with the highest. If it is 50%, you are treated as 50% efficient.
- Apply the next rating to what is left. A 30% rating takes 30% of the remaining 50, which is 15. Now you are at 65.
- Keep going down the list. Each new rating applies only to the efficiency still left.
- Round only once, at the very end, to the nearest number divisible by 10. Values ending in 5 round up.
The key point in 38 CFR 4.25(b): the rounding happens one time, after all ratings are combined. You never round in the middle.
Why does 50% plus 30% equal 70%?
This is the example the regulation itself uses. Start with 50%. That leaves 50% efficiency. A 30% disability takes 30% of that 50, which is 15. Your combined value is 65. Under 38 CFR 4.25(a), a combined value ending in 5 rounds up, so 65 becomes 70%.
The same rule works against you in other cases. A 40% and a 20% combine to 52 (40 plus 20% of the remaining 60, which is 12). 52 rounds down to 50%.
How do you combine three or more ratings?
Same method, one rating at a time, in order of severity. Take the example in 38 CFR 4.25(a): ratings of 60%, 40% and 20%.
- 60 leaves 40% efficiency. 40% of 40 is 16. Combined value: 76.
- 76 leaves 24% efficiency. 20% of 24 is 4.8. Combined value: 81 (the table shows 81).
- 81 rounds to 80%. That is your combined rating.
Notice that the 20% rating only moved the needle about 5 points. The more ratings you already have, the less each new one adds. That is the single biggest reason veterans get stuck at 80% and 90%.
What do common rating combinations equal?
Combined values from the 38 CFR 4.25 table, before and after rounding. No bilateral factor applied.
| Individual ratings | Combined value | Final rating |
|---|---|---|
| 10, 10 | 19 | 20% |
| 30, 10 | 37 | 40% |
| 40, 20 | 52 | 50% |
| 50, 30 | 65 | 70% |
| 70, 30 | 79 | 80% |
| 60, 40, 20 | 81 | 80% |
| 70, 50 | 85 | 90% |
| 90, 40 | 94 | 90% |
| 90, 50 | 95 | 100% |
| 70, 50, 50 | 93 | 90% |
What is the bilateral factor?
The bilateral factor is a small bonus the VA adds when you have compensable ratings on both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles. It is in 38 CFR 4.26. Both knees, both feet, both hips, or radiculopathy in both legs are common examples.
How it works:
- Combine the right and left side ratings the normal way.
- Add (not combine) 10% of that combined value.
- Treat the result as one rating and combine it with everything else, in order of severity.
Under 38 CFR 4.26(c), both sides must be rated at a compensable level (10% or higher). A 10% left knee and a 0% right knee do not trigger it. And under 4.26(d), added in 2023, if leaving a bilateral condition out of the calculation would give you a higher combined rating, the VA must use the more favorable method.
Bilateral factor worked example
Say you are rated 30% for PTSD, 10% for your right knee and 10% for your left knee.
Without the bilateral factor: 30 combined with 10 is 37. 37 combined with 10 is 43. 43 rounds down to 40%.
With the bilateral factor:
- Right knee 10 combined with left knee 10 is 19.
- 10% of 19 is 1.9. Add it: 19 plus 1.9 is 20.9, treated as 21.
- Now combine 30 and 21. 30 leaves 70% efficiency. 21% of 70 is 14.7. Combined value: 44.7, which is 45.
- 45 ends in 5, so it rounds up to 50%.
Same three conditions. 40% one way, 50% the other. In 2026 dollars that is $795.84 versus $1,132.90 a month for a veteran alone, a difference of $337.06 a month. If both of your arms or both of your legs are rated, check your code sheet and make sure the bilateral factor shows up.
Check your decision letter
Your rating code sheet lists each condition, its diagnostic code and its percentage. Run those numbers through the calculator above. If your math and the VA’s math do not match, find out why before your one-year window to request a review closes.
How much does VA disability pay in 2026?
Monthly rates effective December 1, 2025, from the VA compensation rates page. Dependents are added starting at 30%, so the spouse column begins there.
| Combined rating | Veteran alone | Veteran with spouse | Veteran alone, per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | Not added below 30% | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | Not added below 30% | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
VA disability compensation is not taxed by the federal government. Rates adjust each December 1 with the cost of living. For children, school children and a spouse who needs aid and attendance, see the full VA rate tables or our VA benefits by rating guide.
How much does each 10% step add?
The dollar jump between ratings is not even. The last step is by far the largest.
| Step | Added per month | Added per year |
|---|---|---|
| 0% to 10% | $180.42 | $2,165.04 |
| 10% to 20% | $176.24 | $2,114.88 |
| 20% to 30% | $195.81 | $2,349.72 |
| 30% to 40% | $243.37 | $2,920.44 |
| 40% to 50% | $337.06 | $4,044.72 |
| 50% to 60% | $302.12 | $3,625.44 |
| 60% to 70% | $373.43 | $4,481.16 |
| 70% to 80% | $293.70 | $3,524.40 |
| 80% to 90% | $260.15 | $3,121.80 |
| 90% to 100% | $1,576.28 | $18,915.36 |
The money is only part of it. 100% with a permanent and total finding also opens education benefits for your kids and health coverage for your family. See the full list of 100% VA benefits.
Why is 100% so hard to reach with VA math?
Because every new rating applies to a shrinking remainder. At a combined value of 90, you have only 10 points of efficiency left. A new 40% rating adds 4 points and lands you at 94, which still rounds down to 90%. You need a combined value of 95 to round up to 100%, and a 50% rating at that stage is what gets you there (90 combined with 50 is 95).
That is why many veterans reach 100% another way: one condition rated at 100%, individual unemployability (TDIU) under 38 CFR 4.16, or a large increase on a condition that is already underrated. We walk through each option in how to get a 100% VA rating.
What mistakes throw off the math?
- Adding instead of combining. 50 plus 30 plus 20 is not 100. It is 72, which rounds to 70%.
- Rounding at every step. 38 CFR 4.25(b) says round once, at the end.
- Counting 0% ratings. A 0% service-connected rating adds nothing to the math, though it still matters for other reasons.
- Missing the bilateral factor. It only applies to paired extremities or paired skeletal muscles, both rated 10% or more.
- Forgetting pyramiding rules. The VA cannot rate the same symptoms twice under two codes (38 CFR 4.14), so two diagnoses with identical symptoms may be rated together.
If you want the exact rating criteria for the 30 most common conditions, and a printed combined ratings table, that is what the 100 Percent Playbook covers. If you are just getting started, the free Field Manual explains VA math in a few pages.
General education only. We are not the VA, we are not affiliated with it, and no one can guarantee a rating. Free help is available from accredited Veterans Service Organizations. If you are in crisis, call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
VA calculator FAQ
How does the VA combine disability ratings?
The VA uses the whole person method in 38 CFR 4.25. Each rating is applied to the efficiency left after the higher ratings, then the final value is rounded once to the nearest 10.
Does 95% round up to 100%?
Yes. Under 38 CFR 4.25(a), combined values ending in 5 round up, so 95 becomes 100%. A combined value of 94 rounds down to 90%.
What is 50% and 30% combined?
The combined value is 65, which rounds up to 70%. This is the example used in 38 CFR 4.25 itself.
What does the bilateral factor add?
It adds 10% of the combined value of your paired extremity ratings before those are combined with your other ratings, per 38 CFR 4.26. Two 10% knees become 21 instead of 19.
How much is 100% VA disability in 2026?
$3,938.58 a month for a veteran alone, effective December 1, 2025. With a spouse it is $4,158.17.
How much more is 100% than 90%?
$1,576.28 a month in 2026 for a veteran alone, or $18,915.36 a year. It is the largest single step on the scale.
Do 0% ratings count in the calculator?
A 0% rating adds nothing to the combined value. It still confirms service connection, which matters if the condition gets worse later.
Is this calculator official?
No. It is an educational estimate. Your official rating is the one on your VA decision letter and code sheet.