Tinnitus — that constant ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears — is the single most common service-connected disability among veterans. And no matter how severe it feels, the VA rates it at exactly one level: 10%.
The 10% rule
Under Diagnostic Code 6260 (38 CFR §4.87), the VA assigns a single 10% rating for recurrent tinnitus — and that's the maximum. It doesn't matter whether you hear it in one ear, both ears, or "in your head": it's still one 10% rating. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld this interpretation, so there's no separate rating for each ear.
What tinnitus pays in 2026
A standalone 10% rating pays $180.42 per month in 2026 (effective December 1, 2025). At 10%, the amount is flat — dependents don't change it until you reach a 30% combined rating. So tinnitus on its own is a modest but tax-free monthly benefit.
Why tinnitus still matters a lot
The real value of a tinnitus rating usually isn't the 10% itself — it's how it combines with everything else and what it can lead to:
- It combines with your other ratings. Through VA math, a 10% tinnitus rating still nudges your combined total upward — and near a rounding line, 10% can be the difference between, say, 60% and 70%.
- Hearing loss is rated separately. Tinnitus (DC 6260) and hearing loss are different conditions with different codes, so you can be rated for both.
- Secondary conditions. Chronic tinnitus commonly leads to claims for anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbance as secondary conditions — and those can carry much higher ratings than the tinnitus itself.
Proving a tinnitus claim
Because tinnitus is subjective — only you can hear it — claims rely on your credible statement plus evidence of an in-service cause (noise exposure from weapons, aircraft, engines, etc.) and a current diagnosis. A "nexus" linking the two helps. Many tinnitus claims are granted on a strong lay statement combined with documented noise exposure.